Trapped
by xxDibDabxx
Summary: What would happen if the world was sudden infected by an alien disease that killed everyone? And then by some ill fated accident, members of the Torchwood team fell through a crack in time to this world? Would they survive? Eventual TorchwoodXDoctorWho
1. Beginnings

The thick bulky door gave a mechanical whine as it rolled to the side revealing the strangest most impossible; and well there is only one word for it, alien place. There were series of metal stairs and walkways, workstations that composed of desks and computers that buzzed with that ever humming and flashing with light that glowed from their screens, tall, glass doors like portals that lead to rooms with darker, more unbelievable purposes like holding completely out of this world weapons, or what are believed to be weapons and dissecting anatomies from a variety of species.

That breathtaking pillar that gushed water like it was going out of fashion stood towering in the middle of the collection of oddities, trailing miniature rivers under the walkways, giving the element of the ever present dripping water and slightly grungy and damp walls that was a constant reminder that they were in fact, underground.

The Torchwood hub. Jack sighed with content as his home, what was as close to his home ever could be, filled his senses. The damp air from being so low down, the freshly brewing coffee, and a strange metallic smell that always seemed to linger in the air, he wasn't sure whether it was the combination of metal and water or something they had found. There was flashing and plenty of movement, enough to entertain his eyes for a long time but he had never enjoyed people watching, he preferred more energetic hobbies. There was the humming that the hub gave off, from all the technical equipment with the beeping orchestra, joined by the chatting and laughing of its occupants, and the occasional chalk-on-blackboard screech that the pterodactyl made.

Standing where he was in the doorway, he could feel the chill that came from the icy waterfall and the warm homely air that came from heated machines, radiators and people as underground tended to be cold. He grinned as he glimpsed each of his employees. Gwen Cooper, ex-policewoman and an exceptional worker was like a bee, typing at her desk, the repeated clicking as she hit the buttons on her keyboard over and over again without looking from the screen. She had that familiar cunning look in her eye when she had put her mind to something.

Close by at another desk was the one and only Mickey Smith, filing through an assortment of papers. That ever present frown on his face. Mickey had been trained and became part of the family a few weeks ago. Jack smiled as he remembered their first meeting, when Mickey had knocked on the front door of a certain blue police box only to come face to face with a complete stranger that was Jack. He walked up the metal stairs in front of him, his boots making a clunking sound with every step. He was greeted by none other than Ianto Jones when he reached the top who handed him a steaming mug of coffee with a bright smile.

Jack took it with a nod of his head as a thank you. Ianto walked over to Gwen to hand her a similar cup which she took gratefully. Ianto and Jack had been in a relationship for sometime now, but it was more of a touch and go thing that they had, constantly on and off. But honestly, he didn't mind, mind-blowing sex with no strings attached was more of his style anyway. He kept walking along the silver walkway until he came to the bleached white mortuary, dotted with tables on wheel, covered with apparatus that shone in the electrical light. Standing in the middle of the doctor's office was Miss Martha Jones, white coat and all, cleaning her equipment. When she noticed Jack walk past, she smiled and waved at him. He put his hand to his head and saluted her. Martha was another member of his team that he had met through the great time lord himself.

He kept walking until he came across the final member, last but not least, Grace Miller. She was in Jack's office, leaning into one of his cabinet's searching for something. He lent against the door way and watched her, waiting for her to notice him. She had recently come onto the team and was still in training for the way things went around here. UNIT had a little team of specialised people in most cities and Gracie came from the one in the big city of Manchester in the north-west on England. Being from so far away she had recently moved to Cardiff and was learning to fit into society as well as becoming the newest member of the family. She knew what she was doing and didn't need the know how on what Torchwood did, but it was apparently a lot more rustic then UNIT, as Martha confirmed. Being tall and thin, she equalled both girls in the team, but it was her straight blood red hair, obviously dyed, and brilliant green eyes that set her apart. She straightened herself, a file in her hand that she flipped through before putting it back in the cabinet and by chance she flicked her gaze towards the door for a moment and, in seeing Jack, smiled at him and walked over to greet him.

"Good morning" he said to her putting his coffee down on his desk and looking up at her. She replied,

"Good morning to you to. Did you sleep last night?" she asked. That was the first thing Jack had noticed when he first met her, apart from how attractive she was although Jack saw that in almost everyone he met, was that she had a very trusting air about her so that he felt he could tell her anything and his secret would be safe. Somehow they had gotten onto the subject of Jack's fear of sleep. It might have sounded silly at first but she didn't laugh. Since Jack had become immortal, the darkness had become more noticeable so to say. Every time he closed his eyes it was there, waiting for him. Being that he was immortal of course, he didn't need sleep and so felt no reason to actually fall into the slumber at night, but when his humanity took over and he couldn't keep his eyes open, he had very dark, very restless sleep that truthfully, was like opening his eyes and looking at the darkness. Watching it try to get that tiny bit closer ever second but there was a barrier keeping it back. A very thin barrier.

"No. But I don't need it. Although I could catch up on a bit of grooming since I'm missing out on my beauty sleep, don't you think?" he asked, feeling his face. She grinned and replied,

"Honey, even if you slept for a thousand years you couldn't look a dime more then the million dollars you do now" to which he smiled and said,

"All green and wrinkly?"

"Sure thing. Now, there's a message come through about disturbances around the old paper factory. Strange readings when I scanned it and weird noises so say the neighbours. I'm thinking rift disturbances" she told him.

"Is that why you were nosing in my filing cabinet?" he asked pointing to the cabinet itself. She smiled and shrugged her shoulder,

"Just checking what things have happened in the past. A bit of homework hurt no one". He smiled back at her,

"So, I'm going to check these out by the sounds of it. The team are a bit tied up on that last case I think" he said looking behind them. She laughed,

"Well you did make a mess of things, I'm sure the creature would have been much happier if you hadn't of 'accidently' thrown paint all over it and let it lose on the streets of Cardiff" she replied. He shrugged.

"So kiddo, want to come along?" he asked, picking up his long brown jacket from the back of his chair and putting it on over the same white shirt and trousers with braces he always seemed to wear. She put a finger to her chin and pretended to think very hard,

"Let's see, go out with you and possibly hunt aliens all afternoon before going for a drink or sit on my backside doing paperwork. I'll just get my coat" she said before walking out the office winking at him. He grinned and checked over the report she had left on his desk. Yep, he decided, most certainly rift disturbances. Hopefully it's not as bad as it looks, because we might be dealing with a crack in time and that wouldn't be good.

A/N: So OTT with descriptions, sorry. This has a really bad summary, please don't lose interest, it gets much more interesting. Also, no romance in the bit i've written so far. The paragraphs are massive too, oh gosh can I do anything right? Please don't foget to review and tell me what you think :D


	2. Accidents Have Consequences

Grace's POV

As Jack told me, Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato had passed away recently, explaining as to why I had become the new driver. I parked the SUV right outside the broken down factory, and grabbed some of the equipment in the back. The front had boarded up windows, growing ivy and plenty of moss. It looked uninhabited by humans which was a good sign, but it was an animal's paradise. I followed Jack inside, and it was as old and broken down as the outside. There were collapsed walls, broken ceiling boards and creaking stairs and floors. I grimaced as I followed him to the second floor. I had never been one for hygiene but this place was disgusting to be sure. Mickey had tagged along when Jack announced where we were going and was trailing behind me, a similar expression to mine on his face.

There was silence from the three of us, except the sound of our breathing and the occasional beep from Jack's wristband that he was using to guide us. There was also the creaking as we walked on mouldy floor and as a bat or pigeon or whatever it was flew overhead. I had a scanner in my hand which I was using to measure the radiation levels that rift gave off. My scanner started going mad and Jack looked from me to the door nearest. I nodded my head in acknowledgment and he pulled out his gun. He mouthed a count to three and the door was pushed open, and he went in to check it out. I heard no gunshots so I followed him to find the room empty. Mickey followed behind me. It was a small room, more likely to have been an office above the massive first floor, the floor that was composed of fours wall, a ceiling and floor, no other rooms except that big one which I found rather comforting knowing we would see if anyone came in behind us, but there would be little place to hide if the even occurred. I always seem to find the bad point in everything when I'm left to my thoughts, it was a curse but a useful one. Mickey broke the silence,

"So this is where the disturbances are?" he asked while Jack walked around the perimeter of the room not taking his eyes off his wristband. I turned to Mickey and explained,

"This is where most of the radiation is coming from, so this is where the disturbances are. But the patterns, they're going up by the second. Something's coming Jack" I turned to Jack and he sighed, nodding his head,

"Something's coming" he agreed. Mickey then inturrupted myself and Jack looking at each other, equally worried and confused expressions,

"The noises that were heard, that means something could have already come through right?" I shook my head,

"Animals like bats can feel the radiation because of there acute hearing, it could have been the panic from them that people heard. Or you could be right, either way we should check it out" but I was cut off as my scanner went mad beeping and flashing, and by the reaction of Jack, his wristband had done the same. I felt my heart beat faster with panic, and also excitment? My adrenaline pumped with anxiety, and Mickey went white as a sheep in the similar reaction. Jack on the other hand grinned at us both and grabbed us by the arm pushing us back to the door. I had to cover my eyes as a blinding white light emerged, and when it calmed down I turned to see what looked a massive cut through the room, but not actually the room just what I saw of it, with white light shining from it.

Jack had obviously said something as he had grabbed Mickey and they were contacting the rest of the team but I didn't hear. Silence enveloped my mind and I found myself walking towards the crack. In was beautiful. I could feel the overwhelming power hit me like wind as I got closer. This was it, the time and space continuum and it was unbelievable. I lifted up my hand to reach out to it. I gasped and squinted as it seemed to be humming at me, the blinding light of every colour in the spectrum. My mind was screaming that I was being insane or foolish but the rest of mewas urging me forward; I was losing control of myself. It was memorizing. Hypnotizing. Unstoppable. Then I was brought back to my senses by a high pitch beeping that nearly deafened me. It was my scanner. My eyes went wide as I realised I was right in front of the rift and it was about to expand. I was winded, watching in horror as the light became brighter and brighter. I managed to whisper,

"Jack…" before an impossible wind threw me off my feet. I think I screamed but so many things were happening. This high pitched noise was filling my ears to the point that it went silent as I thought I had gone deaf. I was so scared, my heart was about to come out of my chest. I shut my eyes as I was blinded. I felt pressure on my arm as someone tried to pull me out the way but I was stuck, I don't know what on but I was stuck. I had curled into a ball at this point and I felt as something curled themselves around me and put my head to their chest, a feeble attempt to protect me for the oncoming storm that I had thrown myself in front of. The smell of 51st century pheromones I recognized. It was Jack. Even with him on top of me I was blinded as the intense white light engulfed us as the crack widened and we were thrown through time. My body burned with pain. The pain was so intense, so unbelievable, I felt like I was dying. I couldn't handle it. I fell into darkness and couldn't remember anymore.

A/N: Thank you very much Lewrahfanfics for reviewing, so far no one else has. I'm just an awful Torchwood writer then. Oh well, I have had loads of fun writing this. Okay, so this is where it gets interesting. Don't forget to review, they are very much appreciated. Also, from now on, it will switch between people's Point Of Views, but i'll put their names in the title so you know. Lots of love x


	3. Defeating Death

Jack POV

I saw it. Just darkness. I heard it. Like drumming. The drums of war. It was coming. My barrier had broken again. It was getting closer. I wanted to open my eyes but it was impossible. It was coming. I gasped and sat up, grabbing onto the closest thing I had to me, squeezing the life out of it. I saw them all, every time I had died and come back. The pain of them all. It was engulfing and I couldn't open my eyes. It had happened again, it was getting worse. Hundreds of time passed before me. Each time the darkness got that bit closer to taking me.

I couldn't tell anyone because no one is supposed to know about the darkness. That's why people don't fear death, just the pain. My breath evened as it ended but I was still gasping. I opened my eyes to find they had tears in them, which I wiped immediately. I looked about to find out I was a pavement of concrete, with a brick wall in front of me. To my left was a lamp post, but my vision wouldn't look past it for the moment. To my right I saw Grace with her back to me, lay on the ground.

"Shit, Gracie wake up!" I said getting on my knees. I had head rush and had to blink a few times. Rolling her over, I shook her shoulders gently, trying to arouse her from her slumber. She had her eyes closed and didn't move. I had died and come back, but I had tried protecting her, I thought she would live if I did. What the hell was she thinking, walking right into it, humans are so stupid sometimes. This wasn't the first time I had fallen through time, and last time I had died as well.

"Gracie!" I muttered as I put my cheek to her mouth and checked for a pulse. There was a weak one, but that was good enough for me. I grabbed her and started trying to resuscitate her. At first without success which made my heart beat faster. She can't be dead, I thought, not now. As if she wanted me to panic, she gasped and opened her eyes at the last minute. Coughing she rolled on her side before jumping right up and grabbed fistfuls of my jacket, hided her eyes against me.

"I saw it, oh shit Jack, I saw it. It's there…" she muttered so I stroked her hair to sooth her,

"Gracie, its okay Gracie. I'm here, it's gone. You're alright kiddo, it's gone" I kept tying to calm her until she stopped tensing against me and looked up, gasping. I couldn't help but smiling, she was alive. She blinked at me for a few minutes, trying to register what had happened before pulling me into a hug and whispering.

"Thank you, you saved my life. I'm so sorry Jack; I don't know why I did that. Did you, you know, die?" she asked me and the memories flashed through my head again but I kept my smile,

"Yeah, I kind of did. But don't worry Gracie, its okay. It was just human curiosity. But next time, listen to me okay?" I replied and she smiled,

"Okay, of course I will. I'm so sorry Jack, I really am" she said and I put a hand on her cheek,

"I know" I said before standing up.

A/N: I'M NOT DEAD! Sorry! I know I haven't updated in forever but i've been busy with christmas and stuff. Thanks to LewrahFanfics and xxtifftiffxx for reviewing, i love you gals! Anways, i know this chapter is a bit out of character, sorry, it'll be better in next few chapters. Reviews are very much appriciated! thanks x


	4. Home's Where The Heart Is

Grace's POV

When I looked around me I knew where I was instantly. This was my home, where I had grown up since I was a child. It was a road called Brittle Stone Way, and I lived at number twenty-five. It was in Blackley, Manchester. The road consisted of a row of terrace houses, all quite modern at the time when my family bought one, on one side of the road. On the other there was a huge patch of land that were bungalows for the elderly.

It was a very quiet area back when I lived here; accept for a few children that used to play in little gangs on corners, but they were all at least under ten and caused no trouble. Back then, it was perfect. I loved this place, right up until I left home, I loved it. But it was so different now. The houses were thick in ivy and mould, old and deserted. The road had become smooth from the lack of use and erosion from the rain. The grass from the bungalows was mud. The pavements were cracked from the roots of the towering trees that showered the whole area in dead, cracking leaves. And then there was the silence. The eerie silence. It took my breath away how horrible it had become. I turned to Jack, who was busy with his wristband,

"What time is this?" I asked my voice full of panic and it broke at the end with my stress. He had a frown on his face and was silent for a moment before replying,

"The date is Friday the 13th of July, two thousand and sixty three" I gasped,

"The future" I whispered in disbelief,

"Yes. Something's happened. Something has disturbed time, explaining the rift activity. Our time and this time have been building up energy and some key event has happened so all that energy has been released. But it's changed time. Everyone's dead, Gracie" he said barely audible. The tone was shocked and reluctant to burden my shoulders. My heart missed a beat when he said that last sentence. That explained the silence. We were alone.

"What do you mean everyone is dead?" I said, my voice rising in hysterics. He looked into my eyes, terrified as me.

"I've picked up the last world wide transmission, it was a warning. From two thousand and ten. Something big happened Gracie". My throat seemed to close up but my tone became hard.

"Show me" I ordered and he did. He pressed something on that damned wristband and the hologram of a man was projected out into the air in front of us. He was speaking, at first it was shaky but it evened out. He spoke demandingly at us, it went like this,

"People of Britain, my news is great but terrible. I must warn you a deadly virus has been set lose upon us, and it threatens to kill the entire population. It is not yet air born and we advise you to keep in your homes, keep away from anybody else who isn't already present in case the bring it with them, and try to wade this out. Momentarily, the government and the police are trying to control the infected areas. So far the number of dead is great and we are trying to stop that number from rising. This will be controlled, just keep yourselves safe.

"This virus will take your system by storm without your realisation. It takes several hours before it kills you and death is unstoppable, for the present time, if it does get into your system. We are working on a cure that will be available to everyone. In those hours, there are no symptoms so you know you have it, which is why we advise you to keep away from everyone else. We-". And it ended there because the screen fizzed out of picture and went blank.

Jack's face was different to mine. He looked panicked, anxious and had gone pale with shock while I was terrified and had gone a greenish colour. We were silent for a moment, processing the information. I was the first to speak, although I avoided opening my mouth too much because I felt like I was going to vomit any moment, I could feel the bile coming up my throat,

"Are they all dead? Every one on the planet, are they all gone Jack?" I whispered. I felt my knees shaking, ready to give way under me. He shook his head and seemed to come out of a daze and hugged me to his chest. He was warm and his heartbeat was speeding,

"I don't know, Gracie I don't know" and that's when it became too much and I fell to the ground, pulling him down with me. I held him tightly and gasped for air. I was upset, terrified and so unsure but I wasn't crying. He didn't object as I gripped his so hard that I must be bruising.

"What do we do Jack? It's gone, damn its gone jack. How do we get back? Oh god, I could be infected. That transmission was old, it could be air born. Oh my god Jack what do we do?" I whispered, my voice getting more and more panicked as it dawned on me that we had no way back. He tried to calm me but his voice was strained and anxious,

"Gracie, shh, Gracie. Stop it. You're not infected. You got that, you are not going to die, not on my account" I gasped for air,

"I'm not you Jack, you can't die, but I can. I saw it, the darkness and it's waiting for me more than ever. I was meant to die but you brought me back. It going to get closer, I'm going to die" I whispered,

"Stop it Gracie. Grace Miller stop this crazy talk right now, you got that. You are not going to die and you are not going to get infected. Even if I have to die a thousand times for you, you will not die when I am here. I promise you. And I promise I will get you back. You're only a child; you haven't lived yet so stop it. You got that?" I shook my head and wiped my eyes of the tears. Getting a hold of myself I straightened out my voice and acted brave but I proved no one,

"Okay, okay Jack I believe you" I said while he still held me by the shoulders looking at me. I stood up and breathed deeply, calming myself while he smiled at me. I could tell it was fake as it didn't reach his eyes but he was trying. With a deep breath, I returned the smile weakly and he turned away.

My mind had gone blank. I couldn't stop thinking about what that man had said. His words echoed my mind; they were all dead, they were working on a cure but obviously hadn't perfected it, they were gone and we were stuck here, doomed. I looked at my arms, rubbing the veins on my wrist with my thumb. Could I be a layer of skin away from touching the poison that had killed the rest of my race?

A/N: thanks to you two gals who have reviewed. I think you are the only ones who are reading this but i'm not sure. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review x


	5. Sentenced To Death

Jack's POV

I could only watch as a permanent frown creased Grace's forehead as she stood deep in thought about the information she was processing. It was so difficult to imagine, to actually understand. The world was dead. Everyone was gone. It was impossible. Wasn't it? My family, my team were gone, I shouldn't been alive. Millions of millions of people were gone. Dissolved from the tapestry of history.

I was walking, my legs refused to keep still. The faint sound of her following me wasn't as distracting as my thoughts of what he had said. They needed no explanation; I was trying to believe they were all dead. I instinctively reached for the communication device wrapped around my ear only to hear the one note beep that told me there was no one to answer it. I felt like a whole galaxy had been put on my shoulders as realisation dawned on me. They really were all dead, and we were trapped here. Forever. I turned around to Grace who was looking at me already. For that moment, our eyes were connected, and we both knew we were alone and no one was coming back.

"Where's your com device?" I asked, no thinking about the words. She answered in a similar fashion,

"Here" and she pulled it out of her pocket.

"Put it on, I don't want to risk losing you". She half smiled but it didn't reach her eyes,

"Well, I'll just shout shall I? It's not as of anyone else is here to shout over me". I frowned and put my hand to her cheek. She put her own over it, holding it there and closed her eyes, "We have no food, no water, no means of communication, no where to go, no idea of what happened in fact and no way back. What are we going to do Jack?" her voice was barely a whisper. I pulled my hand free and forced her chin up to look at me.

"Grace, you've lost hope. Here's what we do. We find food, we find water, we find shelter and find out what happened. We have communication with each other. We find a way back" I replied, repeating her list. She swallowed and looked up at me, a glimmer of hope beginning to burn behind her eyes.

"Okay Jack" she agreed. I let go of her and turned to continue walking. She cleared her throat and caught my attention,

"Um, Jack? That way's a dead end. This way, I know somewhere we can go" and she turned walking away. I followed her curiously. She stopped outside a black gate that lead to one of the terraced houses. She glanced back at me and smiled encouragingly before walking through the garden to the front door. I frowned at her, but followed. Surprisingly, she pulled out her set of keys. I laughed, intrigued before she selected a certain silver key, and slipped it into the lock. It clicked as she turned it. The perfect match. I gawped at her for a moment,

"How?" I asked. She grinned before becoming sad and replied,

"This is my parents' house". As she reached to open the door, I grabbed her arm,

"If this is your parents' house, then this is very last place we should come to" I ordered. And truthfully, I had no idea how she would react as we walked through that door. She sighed and looked me in the eye,

"I'll be fine Jack. We can base here while we do what we need to do" she replied and swinging the door open, she led me into the house. The first thing I registered was the stench in the air. It was clammy from years of being trapped, and had the odour of rotting. The floors were grey from the collected dust, and most of the walls were black from damp. The only thing missing was cobwebs from this ancient place, but of course were there any spiders? It was accompanied by the same eerie silence that seemed wrong in this once homely looking place. We went forwards into what I found out was the kitchen. I saw mountains of bottled water, toiletries, dehydrated foods, blankets and many blue boxes like coolers. Survival packs. Grace met my gaze, a mixture of feelings. Disgust, shock, pain? Maybe anxiety? Did she hold a twinkle of hope?

"They knew this was coming?" she mouthed, the words not escaping her throat.

"They must have" I shrugged. If they were prepared, what truly happened here? She went to the taps by the sink and turned them. Nothing.

"No water" she muttered but the words held more then she let on. They were the evidence of genocide. She continued on her search and switched a dusty light switch. To our surprise the lights came on, "We have electricity" she announced. I let a flame of faith show in my face. If there was electricity flowing into the house, could that mean… She shook her head and pointed up,

"Solar panels" she muttered. Maybe not then. I opened my wristband and started to test the air, checking if it was safe for Gracie. She watched me.

"It will take a few minutes" I told her. She nodded and smiled unexpectedly. I could see she was upset by being here; a constant reminder that her family had once been together and safe in this place.

"How about some tea?" she asked, still beaming. I frowned and chuckled at her strange change of heart, maybe she was trying to lift the mood.

"Sure, if we can get it. You know, that the one thing that defines the British and Americans Gracie. You unstoppable love for the tea leaf. Personally, I support team coffee" I mumbled on with myself. She rolled her eyes,

"Of course Jack, that's the one and only difference between us British and you Americans" she muttered as she opened the cupboard in front of her. She gagged as rotten food filled the air. I put my hand to my nose before it reached me.

"Not the best idea" I muttered as I went over to the window and threw the curtains open. Big mistake. A cloud of dust showered me. I coughed and used my hand to try and clear the air around my mouth. A lost effort. I heard Grace gasp and when the air was clear I saw why. The window was half blocked by the roots of what I imagined was a tree. So nature would be left to go wild when man kind was extinct.

"Wow" Gracie said, "That was a tiny sapling last time I visited" she said looking at me cautiously. I frowned and patted the dust off my front,

"Time has this effect on things" I muttered to her. There was a beep and I realised it was coming from my wristband. I looked down and projected the readings onto the space in front of us.

"Okay, the air's pretty safe" I concluded, "Plenty of oxygen and nitrogen, A lot less Carbon dioxide, I guess one good this came of this-"

"Jack!" she said, punching me on the arm, "Don't ever say that!" I tried smiling apologetically,

"Sorry". She frowned at me and turned back to my readings,

"Hey, what's this?" she said pointing at a larger bar that went upwards, "There's something in the air, something I can't pronounce"

"It's Transglifamol, like this, trans-gliff like cliff-a-mol. It's a fluid used to suspend the Nex parasite. It killed an entire species in under a day back home in the 51st century, they were tiny vulnerable creatures called the Almus. They were so kind, so caring when they first made contact. I had many friends among them". When I saw the readings, I knew there was no hope. This is what had destroyed the human race.

"This is what killed everyone" she said. It wasn't a question but I replied,

"Yes"

"And it's air born" she continued,

"Yes". My voice was barley a whisper. She looked at me and nodded her head in understanding. That one word had become her death sentence.

"I'm going to die" she said, her voice curiously calm.

"No! No Grace, don't think that" I said grabbing her shoulders and physically straightening her out, "I swore I wouldn't let you die. Listen to me, I will find a cure and take us back. Grace, don't lose hope on me" at this point I had pulled her to my chest and had my head on top of hers, southing my own pain as much as hers, "Don't give up on me now, I can't do this without you. If I'm alone, why is it worth it?"

A/N: Reviews are put in a safe with all my gold!


	6. Family

Grace's POV

"Nex?" I asked, pouring hot water into two cups. There was no milk or anything, but since there was no heating either, it should warm us up. I handed one to him and he blew the steam from the top,

"Yeah. It's the name they were given back then. Or should I say forward. It basically means death, slaughter. Since they are just parasites, such low class creatures, they couldn't tell us if they had their own name" he muttered in reply. I wondered at his words for a moment. This tiny bug had killed whole species. My whole species.

A tiny bug that didn't even have a big enough brain to communicate in any way, just living off instincts! I knew I was growing angry at this tiny bug, this Nex. Given a name that by the sounds of it that rightly should be feared. I looked back at my wrist, where I knew it was swimming happily in my blood. Where I had hoped it wasn't just an hour before. Well, I've decided, I am not going to fear that name. I smiled darkly. Little bug, take as much of me as you want, try your hardest. Because I am not going down without a fight.

We were waiting on the next reading, the one that would take the longest. It was checking for any life signs on a national scale. Just the United Kingdom for now. Though hope was little, it wasn't non existent. We didn't know whether all the humans were dead, although it looked likely, but there were no signs of animals either. One species had be immune, right?

"How much longer?" I asked as I sipped my drink. It burnt my tongue, but my fingers were ice so it was welcome. The frost must have stayed later. He glanced at his wristband when I pulled him from his thoughts and replied,

"Not long" I sighed and he smiled at me. I didn't know whether he knew that I could tell his smiles were fake since we had come here. I had tried imitating them before, trying to hide my pain and it had seemed to work.

"Okay Jack. Wouldn't it be good if just one person was immune and survived?" I asked him, thinking aloud. He sighed and shook his head sadly,

"No one is immune, it's impossible to be. Gracie, my mother was one of the scientists who studied it. It locked onto a victim, and there's no stopping it. No one is free from it" he replied. I don't know what he saw on my face but he suddenly put his cup down and hugged me tightly to him again. I didn't know if he felt this strongly about protecting all his employees or if it was the fact that I was the last female left in existence as far as we knew, "I'll find a cure Grace. I never said there wasn't a cure. These were a different species, we couldn't fit one with they're systems, but we're human. I'll save you". I shook him off and realised my cheeks were wet. I had cried?

"I'm fine Jack, honestly" I reassured him. He studied me with his eyes before nodding his head and going back to leaning against the counter. His gaze didn't leave me, as if he expected me to shatter at any moment. I sniffed and asked,

"Does this mean you have it too?" he looked at me for a moment as if thinking about it for the first time,

"I guess it does" he replied. I half-smiled and continued,

"Is there anyway your little wristband can find out for us? You know, test us?"

"No" he became serious, "Didn't you bring anything from the car with you?" he asked raising an eye brow. I was about to reply when there was a crash from upstairs that made us both jump. The sound was made so much louder in the silence, it sounded like an explosion. Jack was the first to react. He skilfully pulled his gun out, put it up to his chest and turned, waiting for me. I followed him of course, a little quicker if I don't mind adding, and nodded my head. He led us upstairs, me behind ready to cover him if needed.

All the doors were closed upstairs accept for two. I recognized them as my own bedroom door and my parents' room. I hadn't used my room for a while, but they kept it for the off times that I wanted to stay over. I often thought they wanted it as a reminder as it still held all my childhood things. He glanced back at me and I indicated to my parent's room with my head. I knew the noise had come from there as it was directly above the kitchen. He nodded once and I stood next to the door. He mouthed a count to three and pushed the door open the rest of the way with his foot, while I went in first, my gun ready to shoot whatever made the noise.

Several things then happened at once. Firstly, there was another bang which with my only glance at the room, I noticed was a window that was open and the wind was blowing against the back wall. Within that one glance I noticed the room had changed a lot. Surrounding the window, the paint and wallpaper had been eroded away by rain and snow. The wall had a massive dent from decades of wind blowing the window about and the glass in the actual window had smashed. The evidence was long eroded also. A bland brown colour painted that side of the room with the plaster and unvarnished floorboards. I also saw that the floor had a new feature, a rug of red and brown. It was accompanied by long splattered up the wall.

I didn't have time to gasp as the second thing happened. I saw both my parents' pale white, sunken skinned and glazed eyed corpses. Various wounds to their bodies, mainly gunshots to the head. Jack was at my tail and, thirdly, as soon as he saw this he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me out of the room backwards, slamming me against the wall outside and prying the gun out of my hands. My mind went blank and I didn't realise my hands had gone limp so it was just dangling there. He was trying to save me but the image was already there, it was all I could see. I felt like my view was dotted with red. My eyes widened and I gasped for air as I got over the shock slowly. Jack had been watching my reaction carefully and pulled me back into his strangling embrace against his chest. He seriously thought he could shadow me from this?

"All that blood…" I whispered but he hushed me and I realised we were rocking slightly. I shook my head as if physically discarding the memory and choked back the sobs in my throat. I hadn't let tears overcome me. I pushed him off me to meet his frown, "I'm okay"

I said but it sounded unconvincing to even me. He stroked my cheek,

"You don't have to go back in there" he told me and I shook my head.

"No, I know this hasn't really happened. We'll go back and I'll see them and I'll know it wasn't real. I believe it wasn't real. It's okay" I repeated. But truthfully, no I didn't. I knew I could withstand this. I was trained for it. I seemed to have convinced him as he nodded and walked back through the door. I took a deep breath and then realised, if this bug took over your body and you just drop dead, why have they been murdered?

A/N: Don't forget to review! x


	7. The Good News And The Bad News

Jack POV

The stench from the bodies was unbelievable. At first we thought it was the food and damp, but the smell had been this. The bodies didn't decay because that was a side affect of the parasite; it stopped its host from healing as well. I wrinkled my nose as I shut the window. I noticed that Grace hadn't followed me back in yet, I couldn't blame her. After being told that she had a small amount of time to live and could drop dead at any second before finding her parents' corpses in the house she grew up in was a pretty tough thing to take all at once. I couldn't hear her crying, but I figured she was trying to overcome the shock.

I bent down over one of the bodies, putting my gun away. I knew nothing about this sort of things. It times like this that I need Martha, I thought. Mentally, I registered all the wounds to them. Broken arms and legs, to stop them running, internal bleeding, from being thrown about and both with a gun shot to the head, instant death. If these were infected, why were they hunted and killed? I figured we didn't have the full story at this point. With a sigh, I covered them both with a sheet, only respectful to the dead.

Cursing myself for letting Grace go in front of me, I noticed something strange on the mother face. There were tears of blood. Opening her eyes I saw the colour pigment was also red. So there was a symptom. Perhaps it only showed before the host was killed. Well, at least we had warning. My shoulders were heavy with the promises I had made, but I refused to not follow them through. I owed Gracie this.

"Use this" said Gracie's voice from behind me, making me jump. She was holding what looked like a television remote that was flashing randomly. We had found this a few months back, and since we'd lost Toshiko, I had no idea what it was. It wasn't until Grace found it and worked it out that we realised it was a scanner. I took it off her, watching her curiously. I hadn't heard her come in, or maybe I was so tied up in my thoughts. She retreated back to the wall by the door, keeping her gaze on her dead mother's face. She had a stern expression, like stone. She was keeping herself steady. I nodded my head in thanks and moved the scanner slowly up the length of the mother. It beeped and I turned before reading the results aloud,

"Turns out you did bring a few things with you huh?" but she didn't reply, "It says she was infected. Your mother was on the verge of dying, she might have already been dead when she was shot. It died with her" her jaw set hard. I frowned to myself as I turned to the father, recovering the mother. She shouldn't see this, I said to myself, its torture;

"How about you go see what the other rooms are like Grace?" it was obvious she knew I was trying to get her out, but she nodded and left anyway. I sighed and checked the man's eyes. They were fine; the same green eyes her daughter had. I repeated the same process as with the mother and the results came back the same. The Nex parasite died with the host. I frowned; I needed to know what went on here. I covered the father up and straightened myself out, pocketing the scanner. I'd gotten all I could from these victims. I went in search for Gracie and found her in what looked like a teenage girl's room; I figured it must have been hers. Sitting cross legged on a white bed, a ragged old puppy dog teddy in her hands which she was looking at, deep in thought. I stood in the door way, waiting for her to notice me. She glanced up like she'd read my thoughts,

"Hey Kiddo" I said and she half smiled,

"Hey"

"You going to introduce me to your friend?" I said pointing at the teddy. She glanced back down before patting a hand on the space beside her. I sat next to her as she had indicated and waited expectantly.

"This is Doug" she began, "I got him for my birthday when I was four and he's been here ever since" She was still looking at the dog when she frowned, "Jack, I know you promised that you wouldn't let me die, and that you would get us back but, I don't see how we can get back really. The crack sealed itself, and apart from that, how do we get back?" I sighed and she looked up. I took Doug out of her hands and put him between us on the floor before I took her hand and explained to her,

"Look Gracie, I will find a cure and I will protect you. When we are safe, the only thing I can think that we can do is go back and see if the hub's still there. If it is, we'll get it back up and working, then we can wait for another crack and try and get back. Also, if we are near the rift, then we might come across someone who will take us back". She frowned,

"Who?" I couldn't help but grin,

"Let's just say, a certain doctor". She was still frowning but let it drop,

"We have no telling where the cracks will take us Jack"

"I know, but it's the best we can do Grace". She sighed and nodded in agreement. Just then my wristband started beeping and the results were done. I studied them for a minute, baffled by the results.

"What does it say?" asked Grace worried. I stuttered on voicing the results,

"We're not a-alone. They're groups of people all over the country, tiny group of a thirty or more, except for this huge colony of over a hundred. Just under ninety miles away"

She gawped at me and suddenly burst into a brilliant grin. She threw her arms around my neck and I couldn't help but beam at her joy,

"They're not all dead!" she cheered. When I had managed to peel her off me I tried to continue,

"Yes Grace, yes, we're not alone. But that's not it all. There's a group of about seven or eight coming this way. They're just down the road; they'll be here any minute. I think they're coming for us" her smile faded,

"Coming for us?" she repeated and before I could answer she had jumped up and pulled the curtains back from the window. It showed a view of the front garden and road. We both watched as an army truck came down the road, men sat in back, wearing uniforms of scarlet. Holding guns. Something told me they weren't coming offering tea and biscuits.

A/N: Reviews appreciated x


	8. Escape And Capture

Grace POV

My body seemed petrified as I knelt over the window sill and looked at the oncoming storm. The soldiers looked reasonably tall, muscular and obviously picked for the job. They piled out of the parked truck, guns in hand. I felt an arm wrap around my waist as Jack pulled me from the window and I was brought back to my senses as he stood in front of me, gun out.

"They'll see you!" he hissed in a low voice trying to get me out of the bedroom door. I pulled my own gun out and eagerly followed him. I didn't think to glance back at me, this might be the last time I see this room. I shook my head and became Grace Miller, trained officer and specialist in extraterrestrial technology. As he stepped down the top step of the stairs, I grabbed his arm and pulled him back, my eyes blazing in fury and worry. He frowned at me and I pointed to the room behind me,

"Shortcut" I mouthed and dashed through the door that led to my brother's room. As always, it was empty of everything. My brother told us to burn all his possessions before he went to prison. That was a tough time for everyone. I threw open the far window and began to climb out. I looked up to a grinning Jack,

"You used to sneak out a lot huh?" he whispered. I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm again, half pulling him out the window with me. When we both dropped to the floor, I could hear them on the other side of the gate, muttering orders and surrounding the front door. I heard the unmistakable sound of guns cocking that made both me and Jack stand up straight and move behind the house with panic.

The sound of there feet and hushed voices was like angel song in the cursed silence, even if they meant us no good. The door was opened and they got inside so quietly we didn't realise, it was only when someone accidently dropped a cup and it smashed like a bomb being dropped did our hearts start racing and we dashed out the back gate and down the alleyway into the back gardens.

We stuck together, guns ready as we ran. It was only moments later did we realise we were being followed when we heard banging boots on the cobbles behind. My breathing became heavy when the piercing noise of a bullet being shot in my direction echoed around for miles, like a hammer being hit on my head repeatedly, it made my ears ring. It missed me by inches and hit the fence beside my head. I felt as Jack put his arm around my shoulder and put me in front of him, shielding me.

We ran around a corner and stopped, taking cover. Jack turned and started shooting down the straight alley and I heard people fall down. Then my vision came back to me as the ringing stopped, my hearing getting used to the deafening sound that blocked all my senses. Panic hit me as I realised that we went from genocide to a handful of people still being alive and he was killing them? I grabbed his arm and pulled him back, smacking his head off the back of the alley wall. He cursed and glared at me, shouting above the noise,

"What the hell?

"Don't kill them!"

"It's them or us!"

"You don't know that, try talking to them, asking what they want" I begged. I watched in horror as a bullet skimmed the top of his ear, missing by millimetres. My eyes were still wide when Jack cursed again and looked at me as if say, you were saying? I glanced above him long enough to see a man, dressed in a scarlet uniform like the rest, turn at us with hazel eyes and aim his gun at Jack's back. Before I could speak I instinctively raised my gun and shot him between the eyes in one fluid movement. Jack turned bewildered before continuing to protect us.

"I don't think they want to talk, Gracie" he shouted back at me. I realised he was right, us or them. What had we done though? I decided just sitting here was no good.

"I'll go round the back, catch them off guard" I shouted. He shook his head,

"The less casualties the better" but I had already started sprinting and rounded the other corner,

"I'll get us a way out then, how does their car sound?" I said as I clicked my earpiece on. I heard his deep booming laugher,

"Like a ticket out of here" he replied through the com link. I could still hear the gunshots in the background. A stand off behind my house, who would have ever thought it. I was still trying to understand why they were doing this when their car came into sight. I slowed down and ducked behind the corner of the fence at the end of the row. As far as I could see, there was no one guarding it, they had all gone inside.

I stood up, gun raised and edged closer to it. My side suddenly flared with pain as something like a fist collided with my face and a foot with my arm. I felt my gun fall from my grip and the crunch as some bone in my arm broke. The pain blinded me momentarily and when I opened my eyes I realised only seconds had passed and someone had me gripped around the chest, almost crushing it, with there hand over my mouth.

They smelt like oil and sweat, it was very repulsive. I stomped down with my heel on what I imagined was a toe, and by the cry of pain from what I found out was a he, I was right, bit his hand, tasting blood and when his grip loosened, elbowed him in the chest before returning my punch to the nose, hearing the snap as it broke. A bone for a bone. My first reaction was to reach up and speak into my ear piece, all I managed to say was,

"Jack! We might have a problem" as I reached for my gun and aimed it at my bleeding assassin. I didn't notice another come from behind before I screamed in agony as he grabbed my broken arm and twisted it behind my back with a crunch. Either slotting the bone back together or breaking it further, from the pain I couldn't tell. I faintly heard Jack reply into my ear,

"Gracie! I'm coming!" but the other man with a deep voice also said,

"Stun her!" before what I imagine was electrical stun gun stung my neck and I fell into darkness.

A/N: Reviews appreciated! x


	9. Two Down

Jack POV

I lent against the cool stone pole that held the wooden panels of the fence up. My heart was thumping and my ears were ringing. Silence crept back into the graveyard. Cautiously, I bent around the corner, my gun ready. In a quick glance I counted the bodies. Five. Including the one to my right that Gracie had killed, that was six. I scoffed. She had saved my life. Well, I don't know it that technically applies since I can't die, but she saved me from more pain. I braved it and walked out into the alley, my footsteps light.

Nothing else moved and the silence overwhelmed me. It was too silent. I began panicking and instinctively reached up to the com device wrapped around my ear. Buzzing like a bee with the poor signal, Grace's heavy breathing filled my mind, the faint tapping of her heels on the cobbles as she ran. She was okay. I had walked the length of the alley and was back at the house and still I hadn't seen anyone. I knew there were two others but where were they? I put my hands on my hips and frowned. Suddenly it came to me; they must still be at the car. There was a beeping in my ear as Gracie contacted me through the com.

"Jack! We have a problem" her panicked voice said before I was deafened by her scream of agony. There was a lot of noise in the background and I was running before she had finished speaking,

"Gracie! I'm coming!" I gasped, sprinting back down the alley and around the corner, diving over the corpses of the men. Blood was polled around them, combining strangely with their scarlet uniforms. I heard her gasp before going silent. Even her breathing stopped and I assumed the worse.

"Grace!" I shouted but the com line went dead, "Shit" I muttered as I came into view of the car. There they were, both men. One was beaten up pretty bad, his face exploded in blood. I smiled darkly, she certainly gave as good as she got. The other was fussing about, shouting at the other. My breath caught in my throat as I saw a figure lying lifeless on the floor. Her arm looked mauled, turning her clothes a dark red. Her eyes shut, her hair knotted and she had fallen naturally so her leg fell wrong. She looked dead. My gaze shifted from her body up to the murderers above her. My eyes were blind with fury and I snapped my gun out, aimed at the head of the blooded up soldier.

I shot him between the eyes and he fell to the floor silently. The other gasped and turned around, panicking. I had picked them off one by one and he was alone now. I can out of hiding. He wasn't a threat anymore. I circled him like a predator does its prey. His eyes were full of panic and guilt. I could smell his fear. Shock had frozen him. For one foolish moment I let my gaze fall down onto Grace. My heart fell like last time. She was my weakness; I had become soft with the love for my team. In that momentary glance, the terrified soldier saw a chance and took it. I don't know what it was exactly he used but it was very solid and very heavy and as it hit me on the side of my face, exploding in pain.

I cursed as I fell sideward. My vision half-blurred I spun my gun around and shot in his direction. I didn't aim but by the sound of his lifeless form falling back and going silent, I hit him. I heard a loud clunk and raised my eyes to see a brick fall down beside him. I cursed again and touched the side of my face, hissing in pain. My head suddenly went light with dizziness. Hot blood trickled down my cheek and my arms holding me up were suddenly weighed down with the immense weight of myself. The last thing I saw was the curiously calm face of an unconscious Grace before the darkness hit.

A/N: Tell Me What You Think And Press The Lovely Button! Sorry for updating twice but the internet was being metal! Also, if you've seen my avatar, you'll notice is it is fact Grace. I found the picture and thought it was perfect. Moreover, I gave her green eyes, and made her hair so much brighter! I did it on paint because I don't have photoshop or I could make it better :( What do you think?


	10. Holding Cell

Grace POV

I was awoken by being jolted about roughly and hitting a hard surface with a thud that made my head hurt and my ears ring. At first, I had no idea where I was, my senses just registered that everything was shaking and moving. My mind was slow. My first thought was an earthquake. But of course it couldn't be an earthquake. I was lay on my front, my ear to the floor. I was cool on my sore face; I vaguely remember being punched. There was a soft purring that I realised was a car engine. So I was in a moving car. I gasped involuntarily as the pain from all over me hit. My arm was burning and I hissed as I try to take my mind of it.

Moving slowly, I raised myself up with my one good arm. My side stung from what I imagined would be bruises when I looked. I didn't remember much, just that I had fought with that soldier and had hurt myself a lot, although he didn't go without his fair share of injuries and I think I was stunned afterwards, that would explain the bruises. I lent back against a metal wall; I was most certainly in a car. At first, I had to blink a bit because my sight was dotted with white, but it soon recovered. I looked down to my hand that was dripping blood, broken no doubt. I tried not to move it. Dried blood was on my cheek where the skin had split. My breath caught in my mouth as I saw Jack lay beside me, eyes closed, skin white and lips blue. I bent down instinctively and shook his shoulders,

"Wake up Jack!" I muttered, surprised how strained my voice was. I gasped when a deep voice replied,

"Hit his head pretty hard, love. He got internal bleeding and a concussion by the looks of it; don't think he'll make it". I looked around for the source of the voice to discover I was in the back of the army truck, and a soldier was driving in the front. I reached for my gun to find it was gone. As were my other weapons, alien equipment and even my ear com device. I cursed and glared at the back of the man's head,

"Where are you taking us?" I demanded but he ignored me. I noticed there was a huge sheet of glass between the front and back of the car. Bulletproof no doubt. So we were prisoners now. As if my ears had understood what he said for the first time, I looked down at Jack and held my breath. Cautiously as I didn't really want to know, I put my hand to his neck to check for a pulse. His skin was cold and still. No pulse. I moved quickly. Putting my ear to his chest I heard nothing. His once soothing heartbeat was gone. Using my non-mangled arm, I pushed open one of his lids, revealing his once brilliant blue eyes that were now dull and dead. His pupils were tiny. I cursed. Any minute now he would revive; hopefully before we left the car.

"Dead yet?" spat the man. I scowled and answered him like it was obvious,

"No, he'll wake up soon". The man snorted. I scowled and asked in a pissed off tone,

"What exactly have we done to deserve this? Survived?" he snorted again and ignored me. I exhaled, fuming when I was startled as Jack gasped and jerked up into my arms. He was rasping for breath and holding on to me so tightly, it almost hurt. I couldn't imagine what it was like for him, reliving every death, feeling the pain again. His muscles were tense and despite him being much taller then me, he seemed to shrink against me. After I got over the shock, I felt a wave of pity and aching to comfort him wash over me. I lay my head on his shoulder and held him, whispering words of comfort to settle him.

"Hey, Jack, it's okay. I got you. You're back" they were hardly life saving but I couldn't think of what else to say to convince him. I was in agony, my head was pounding and my heart way weighed down, it was pretty hard to try and relief others from pain, although I would have given anything to have taken this curse from Jack. My heart went out to him for his pain. He calmed down and opened his eyes, releasing his death grip on me. I quickly inhaled while my lungs were able again. He kept his hands on my shoulders while he straightened his head and realised what happened. He was looking past me, closing his eyes sometimes as I imagined he locked away bad memories. I kept my arm tight against my chest, hoping to lessen the pain. I needed a sling and a brace for the broken bones to heal; it was times like this that I needed Martha. She had become a very important part of the team for sure.

"Bet you've got one hell of a headache" muttered the man in the front. It literally looked like Jack's ears pricked up and anger flamed in his face. I noticed the massive gash on his face had healed miraculously. As we couldn't stand under the low roof, so Jack knelt against the glass and all but threw his fist into it, splitting the skin on his knuckles but leaving the glass unharmed apart from a few blood smudges. He didn't curse or acknowledge the pain but I winced as his bones hit glass.

"Let us out of this car and give me my gun now" he bellowed so loud that I had to cover my ears while the man grimaced.

"Or what?" was the reply the man grunted without taking his gaze off the road in front of him. Jack spoke in a quiet voice with a musical tone that made him sound insane,

"I have had centuries of talking to people, picking up a few things here and there. I will batter my way through this glass, and believe me I won't die trying, and for, shall we say the rest for the year, every second I will torture you using different methods that I have learnt; pressing exactly the right buttons to cause you unforgivable agony until you will be grovelling at my feet whilst picking up the remains of your teeth and bones for me to kill you but do so I will not for I will let you die slowly, the worse possible way, believe me". The way his eyes shined in a way I have never seen and the way his mouth was curling slowly into a maniac grin that showed how much he enjoyed watching the man in front of him shrink and swear in fear. It was terrifying.

More horrific than any wild battle cry from a man, or deep roar of any beast was the way he breathed the word 'die', like he was praying. Yet as frozen with distress and alarm as I was, I found my eyes shining with credit and a grin spreading across my face for the amazing impressiveness of his words and how much unbearable truth there was in that deep silky voice. The man gulped and blinked a few times before ignoring Jack's comment and pushing down on the pedal harder. Before I could stop him, Jack began beating against the glass with his fists, droplets of blood splattered everywhere and my eyes widened in horror. The man reacted likewise and the car slowed drastically as every thud caused the man to move his head forward instinctively.

"Jack!" I said trying to reach out and stop him but he turned to me with vicious eyes, daring me to come closer and feel what he could do. I froze and he saw it because he softened his gaze, becoming Jack again.

"Stop…" I whispered and he frowned at me. There was silence as he studied my expression, looking for something. Whatever it was, he seemed to find it as he dropped his fist and put his hand to my cheek, half smiling. The man broke the silence in the front, his voice shaky,

"Stop it! I have orders to bring you back to The Empire after you destroyed my squadron. You can't get out of there so you should just hold tight, you're going straight to the lead governor, to Lord Edgar, our royal leader and commander of us all. He wishes to speak with you. I am under strict orders to not answer any questions, that's his job it is" he didn't seem as timid to the end, more proud. Jack grunted and looked at me for agreement.

"The Empire. Figures. Well, shall we like to meet with Lord Edgar, Kiddo?" he said, watching my choice curiously. I shrugged,

"It would be nice to get some answers. Perhaps we could help" I replied. He frowned,

"I was more hoping they would have a cure, after all, they survived over sixty years so they must have one. Do you?" he said shifting his gaze to the man in front. The man laughed once and replied,

"Aye. I'm glad you've decided to cooperate. Sit tight, the journey isn't much longer". Jack rolled his eyes. The man sounded like a cart-driver who had just given a couple of strays a ride in the back of his cart of hay. Jack turned to me and smiled half-heartedly. He liked the idea of getting answers and helping me, but being a prisoner wasn't his style. Or at least, I didn't think he liked it, but being Jack, you never know.

"You can't answer any questions then?" he asked, not taking his gaze off me. I watched him as he listened to the answer.

"Look pal. I have been selected to become a soldier because of my strength and build, but I don't have the heart of a murderer. As much as I want to help you, you have just slaughtered my best friends, made me come out into this infected god dam land and threatened to torture me when all I want to do is go home. I'm not in the mood for defying orders right now". His tone was serious and it must have gotten to Jack as his solid eyes turned to liquid and he tore his gaze away from me,

"I understand" was his only reply.

I put my hand over his on my cheek and felt the blood, hot and sticky on my palm, yet he didn't flinch from the pain. I frowned, tinted with pain for his wound and brought his hand down to look at his blooded knuckles. I sighed and kissed them, tasting the blood. The term kiss it better came to mind. It was like rusty metal. I looked up into his curious eyes, holding something else, was he gratuitous?

"You shouldn't have done that" I muttered, still looking at his hand. He didn't reply, just pulled his hand free to lift my chin up, allowing my gaze to rest on him.

"I'm surprised you care if I injure myself" he replied, voice low so the man in the front couldn't hear. I frowned,

"Of course I care. Can you not feel that?" I said my eyes flicking to his hand and back. He shrugged,

"I've felt worse so I guess it's not as bad". I frowned but smiled,

"Not a good thing" I breathed as I spoke. He was moving slowly closer towards me, so close that I could smell those 51st century pheromones and they made me dizzy when I breathed them in. I must have stopped breathing because when he was close enough that his arm brushed the blood-soaked material of my jacket that was wrapped around my battered arm I gasped more than I should have, mostly out of pain and he became more alarmed.

"Sorry" he kept chanting quietly as he carefully picked up my arm and pulled back the material, grimacing at the wound. I hissed a bit with the pain that felt like blades cutting into my skin. He sighed,

"He messed your arm up pretty bad. I'll have to sort this out" he said and his gazed flashed up to my face. I have must have shown my fear and disliking of his choice even though I knew it had to be done because his eyes softened and he kissed my forehead, "I'm sorry" was all he said before he sat me down and began to work.

A/N: Haha, I cannot do an intimidating Jack! plz review x


	11. Bringing The Past Back

Jack POV

I could imagine how much pain she was in because even though she wasn't screaming or moaning, an involuntary hiss escaped her lips as I inspected her mangled arm. Mangled was certainly the right word, he had all but destroyed her. His was stronger than I imagined when I first saw him back there. She scrunched up her face while I squeezed just above her wrist. The ulna and radius had been shattered just above the wrist, tearing the muscle and flesh to shreds; no doubt that at least two of her carpal bones in her wrist had gone the same way. I grimaced; her metacarpals had been split into two in at least two places on the same bone beneath her middle finger. I needed to straighten them out; they were sticking out at all angles, and fix her with a brace to keep it that way. Thank god I broken my arms enough times to learn all this from Owen. I also needed to wrap them up and stop the blood or else she bleed herself unconscious. I looked up into her curious face and sighed,

"This is going to hurt" I told her. Her face dropped.

"Okay" she replied and I nodded my head. I crawled back and held her arm out straight, even that hurt her. With a sigh I took a hold of her arm and began slotting the bones about. At first she gasped in pain and tried to stifle a scream of agony. I looked at her apologetically but she was concentrating on the ceiling. That first one was the biggest and after that she didn't scream again. When I was done I saw the soldier up front turning around every now and then, watching carefully. I asked him,

"I need something to brace her arm". He shrugged and smiled apologetically,

"I don't even have a first aid kit I came out here so fast. Sorry, but she can see a medic as soon as we get there, only about an hours drive" he replied. I replied furiously,

"An hour? How far are we going exactly? Where to?" He shrugged again, not replying. I exhaled and turned back to Gracie who was flexing the muscles in her arm, squinting with the pain.

"I'm sorry Kiddo" I said and she smiled.

"Thanks anyway Jack, I owe you one". I smiled back.

"Your arm, you need to keep it in that position but I think I'll have to reset it anyway". She grimaced, "you won't feel it though; I'll get local anaesthetic". She seemed to be a bit more relieved. I took off my huge jacket; unslung my braces and removed my shirt. It was light blue and I reckoned strong enough. Ripping it off around the bottom, I managed to make a temporary sling for her. She smiled gratefully and I could tell she was averting her gaze from my bare chest. It was very amusing,

"Hey Kiddo, ask anyone, this chest is the best they've ever seen". She laughed quietly and replied,

"Anyone? Gosh Jack, I thought you would go after the worthy". I chuckled,

"Only the worthy get to see anything else Kiddo" I replied and her cheeks went pink at the change of subject. She was like a teenager.

"Thanks for this Jack" she said settling herself against the metal side of the car. She lay her head back, closed her eyes and sighed. I put my coat back on as the chill was biting at my bare chest and fell beside her, throwing my arm around her shoulder. She smiled without opening her eyes and lent against my shoulder.

"It really was the least I could do" I admitted. She laughed once,

"You could have done nothing" she replied.

"You got me there" I replied. I lay my head on top of hers and we sat there in silence, content in our own little worlds. I remembered the first time I saw met Grace, it seems like years ago. It was about a week after Martha and Mickey had decided to join the crew when we had said good bye to a certain time lord and saved the world, again.

I was waiting outside the office of the leader of the UNIT base in New York where Martha had worked. She was giving her letter of resignation in and saying her goodbyes as she was going to become a part of our team, our family. It hadn't been the same without Toshiko and Owen; hopefully that would change now. Two soldiers were stood outside the door with guns in hand and those adorable red caps that made me smile. I remember how Ianto looked in one of those. I was getting pretty bored at this point, so bored that I had started trying to get the soldiers to talk but they were like statues. Even when I flirted because one of them was exceptionally good looking.

I shook my head. UNIT. There was the sound of stilettos on concrete as someone was coming up the stairs in front of me. I didn't really pay attention until she came into view. She was wearing a black suit skirt, white blouse, black heels and a tie that went around her bare neck. I frowned, amused by how informal she was compared to everyone else who was in perfect scarlet and black uniforms. Her hair, darker than flames and piercing green eyes cast a glance to me, looking me up and down. She raised an eyebrow as she took in my captain's uniform. She walked right up till she was in front of me and put her hands on her hips. I pushed my coat aside and stood in a similar position, frowning at her. Despite being much smaller than me, even in heels, she stood in a very strong and proud, a cunning look in her eye. She had a very loyal, trusting air about her. She was also very attractive. My first thought was, I don't care what I have to do, I am having this woman on my team.

"So you're the Captain Jack Harkness who's taking Martha" she said in a very commanding voice, an eye brow still raised. It certainly wasn't a question.

"Word travels fast. And who exactly might you be?" I replied, grinning.

"Grace, Grace Miller" she replied, watching me with careful eyes.

"Well then, Grace, Grace Miller. How much do you like your job here at UNIT?" she frowned at me before smiling cunningly,

"Are you asking what I think your asking?" she replied. My grin spread,

"Well perhaps I am" I replied. She mirrored my grin and shrugged,

"I suppose a change wouldn't hurt" she replied.

"Welcome to Torchwood" I said and we both stood there beaming like idiots. I opened the office door and strutted in, Grace close on my heels. Martha turned and frowned at us while Lieutenant-General Burrow, a tall bald man sighed and pointed and accusing finger at me,

"Jack Harkness that is the last time I let you in this building. Every time you come you walk out with half my staff!" he announced. I just grinned at Gracie and she grinned back.

"Jack?" Gracie asked bringing me out of my own world. I opened my eyes to see she was looking up at me with curious eyes.

"Um?" I replied.

"How many times have you died?" she still seemed in her own world but the question caught me off guard. It wasn't a subject I liked to speak of freely,

"Many" I replied,

"Can I ask you a personal question? I might not be right of me but I'm curious" she continued. I frowned but answered cautiously,

"Go on"

"Which was the worst? Death I mean. Which one hurts you the most to relive?" she continued and came out of her distant voice, looking at me seriously and a little watchful. I tensed and my frown turned into a cold expression, my mouth in a single hard line. She saw this and looked apologetic but didn't take her words back. I sighed and looked doubtfully at her,

"You sure you want to hear it?" I asked, hoping she would change her mind but I wouldn't deny her the truth if she chose otherwise. She nodded her head. I looked up at the ceiling and began to tell her of that time. The time in the year that never was.

…….

_His cold laughter was all I could hear. It was becoming faint as the darkness began to spill towards me. The distant sound of dripping was like a beat created for the symphony of death. __The room was damp and cold, but I didn't feel it as I hung completely bare from the ceiling by rusty chains that hooked through my skin. A pool of my own blood forming below me from pin pricks on almost every part of my skin, the holes ripping wider as I tried to breath. I was slowly bleeding to death. The agony had made me numb so I didn't feel it anymore. It was a relief. My only thought was I want to die. Die and never come back. He would do this to me again if I came back. That's something coming from an immortal man. I was vaguely aware as he stood in front of me against a background of metal, grinning smugly in his black suite, arms crossed, as if the very smell of my pain caused him pleasure. There was a deafening crash as the door was opened. I didn't realise it was them until I heard a muffled cry of,_

"_Jack!" It was a voice I knew. I sure I had heard it before. In another lifetime. My head was dizzy and the dark was dotting my vision. I looked up weakly to see them there. My family. My team. Gwen, Tosh, Ianto and Owen. They had been brought back to me after all this time. Forced on there knees, tied up, clothes in their mouths to limit communication, covered in blood and bruises, tears still clinging to their eye lashes. Were they crying for me? But they shouldn't be crying; they should be happy. I was about to die and there was the tiny hope that I wouldn't come back. There was a gasp as someone had grabbed Toshiko by her hair and had put something to the back of her head. I couldn't remember what it was called, but it was bad. No, Toshiko is too innocent and helpless. That's not fair. There was a loud sound, like an explosion. A gunshot. Her body fell lifeless to the floor. I felt the pain return but deep in my chest. It was unbelievable compared to anything I've ever felt. I could barley breath so I couldn't even scream in anger and pain. Three more explosions. It was just the two of us again; the only two alive. They were dead. I choked in agony, but it sounded like a hiccup. His laughter got louder. And louder. Until there was silence. The darkness was surrounding me. I sighed in content as it grasped a hold on me, pulling me away. But it jerked off me like it had been electrocuted. I reached out to it. No, take me with you. But the light was coming back. And he was back. Still laughing._

"_Hello Jack" said the heartless voice of the Master. His right foot was resting on a pile of rocks.__ No. That was a pile of bodies. Owen's glazed eyes were looking at me. That was my team. My family. Dead._

…….

The memory kept replaying itself in my head. It was as though I cold actually feel the pain. There is no way words could describe how it felt to see them dead. The watch them be murdered in front of me and not be able to avenge their deaths. For under a year I was tortured to death over and over again. Because even now, when my dreams haunt me, when I see the darkness and relive death that is still the most terrifying thing ever, sometimes, I convince myself they are actually all dead and that year was real and the pain is unbearable. I felt something warm on my cheek and opened my eyes to find my vision was blurry. Gracie was looking at me apologetic, her hand on my face. She was like an angel in my world of pain and darkness. My skin felt damp against hers and I realised that tears in my eyes had spilled. She wiped them away and her eyes were soft. She had been crying by the looks of it, and I was grateful she had stopped herself before looking at me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry. I guess I'm just a big softy" I explained, my voice breaking at various points. She frowned and pulled me into a one-armed hug. I pulled her as close to me as I could, desperately trying to keep safe of her arm. This was one of the only things that I couldn't cover with my mask. I covered my face by burying it in her hair, smelling strawberries. I would've laughed but I couldn't.

"You don't have anything to apologise for. I'm sorry I asked you to tell me" she replied. I laughed once,

"You were curious, it's in your nature" I replied. She pulled away from me and checked my face for any signs of pain. I figured I'd covered them up pretty well as she kissed my forehead, my eyes closing as she did and said,

"We'll go back. They'll be there. Until then, I'm here if you want me". I smiled at her, knowing it didn't reach my eyes,

"I want you" I replied and we sat next to each other like before in silence. I let my thoughts disperse and locked them back in my vault, hoping it would be a while before they were revisited. I hated how I had broken down there in front of her. The fear I had felt for that man. How he had tortured everyone. It was unforgivable. Unimaginable. I would never admit it but I watched as that blonde wife of his picked up the gun. I watched as she aimed blindly in his direction while I stood right next to him. I could've jumped in front of him and saved him, but could I save a monster? Obviously I couldn't. I would say I feel immensely guilty and regret it everyday but I really don't. I hated him so much that I watched the bullet fly past me and straight into his chest. Of course I reacted like the soldier I was and took the gun off her, but I watched him fall and die. I still do not regret my choice, because he got less than he deserved. Yet even though I do not regret my decision, I hate myself for becoming exactly what he is. A monster.

A/N: Three flashback (kind of...)! Very daring of me! review plz x


	12. Arrival At Glasgow

Grace POV

I was awoken by someone whispering in my ear,

"Hey Sleepy Head, I told you not to fall asleep". It was Jack. I opened my eyes to find myself slouched against him, my head on his strangely comfortable shoulder. He was smiling at me with his blue eyes. I jerked up immediately and instantly regretted it as the sharp movement sent a small wave of pins and needles into my injured arm. Somehow, my body had numbed it after an hour or so of pain. I groaned as I got head rush. I heard a muffled chuckle but chose to ignore it,

"How long was I out?" I asked,

"Ten minutes. I told you I'd have to wake you up so you should wait it out and sleep when we got there" he replied. I sighed and fell back beside him. He took a lose strand of my hair and began twirling it around his fingers.

"Sorry to leave you" I admitted. He snickered,

"Actually, I had quite an interesting chat with our driver, Tommy, here. Did you know these walls are atomic bomb proof? So thick that they used this stuff on Buckingham palace. Actually, I imagine that it where they got this stuff from since London doesn't have a survivors' camp" he told me,

"Survivor's camp?" I repeated,

"Yes, since I couldn't get any answers about history and such, I figured those groups of human's we saw were camps"

"Oh" was all I could say. Wow, how dangerous did they think we were if we were put in a car with god knows how thick walls. As if he had read my thoughts he replied,

"I don't know for sure, but I imagine they're scared of us. We just popped up on their scanners out of no where and ran when we were chased. Their orders were to capture us, unharmed but of course one guy decided he's stretch them rules a bit, and well, you know how that ended" he explained. I shrugged. I had guessed they were scared of something but we weren't to be harmed? Okay then.

"Yeah, sorry about that ma'am. But I guess they all paid for his mistakes" said Tommy in the front, obviously hearing our conversation. I wondered if he had heard what we had been talking of before.

"So I'm ma'am now?" I asked. Jack chuckled, as did Tommy.

"Yeah, sorry about before but you have to understand what I thought when I found you two the only ones alive. You are our guests when we get home now. I've offered you a seat up front but your boyfriend was very protective. Said he wanted you by his side since there's only space for one up here". I raised an eyebrow that said, 'So you're my boyfriend now' and he winked at me. It was a cunning, cheeky wink as if to say, 'you say that like it's a bad thing' but also to say, 'shh, don't tell on me'. He obviously had a reason for this and I would get it out of him later. I shook my head. Typical Jack. Our silent conversation was interrupted by Tommy,

"Welcome to home" he said and the car stopped. I look to Jack to see him grinning at me.

"Time to meet the neighbours" he said. I rolled my eyes and watched as Tommy got out of the truck and everything went silent. I couldn't even hear his boots as he walked around the car or the sound as he unlocked the wall, which turned out to be a door. I was blinded momentarily by sunlight, but as my eyes adjusted, I saw that Jack was outside and smiling at me. He put an arm behind his back and held his hand out to me with the other. I grinned and took it, stepping down from the truck carefully. The blood rushed down my legs and I wobbled a bit after so long sitting. Plus however long I was unconscious for. I wondered where we were,

"Glasgow" whispered Jack in my ear as he held my hand while my legs got used to walking again. I actually thought he had read my thoughts that time until I realised he was talking to himself, "I always loved the Scots" he continued. I smiled to myself, now there's a story I didn't want to know. I turned and felt my breath catch in my throat, louder than it should have been before I noticed Jack was looking in the same direction as myself, a look of anger on his face instead of the awe that mine composed of. We were looking at a huge city, tall buildings made of steel and shining in the sunlight. Although the silver colour was disorientated as what looked like a blue bubble concealed it. It was a force field. A big one. I suddenly understood Jack's anger. This was alien technology, stolen from a base that specialised in these sorts of things. Somewhere like Torchwood.

"Human's shouldn't have this sort of technology for at least another fifty years. This shouldn't be here" he sighed. I watched him as he shook his head and I agreed. This was wrong. I turned to Tommy who was speaking with a group of soldier garbed in the scarlet uniforms, sub-machine guns in hand, that had appeared out of no where. They were muttering quickly, so quick my ears couldn't keep up. The fact they were almost silent didn't help. At first they were tense but with a long explanation from Tommy they nodded sharply and their eyes flicked to me, only I realised they were looking past me to Jack like I was invisible. Jack's was scowling at them and he seemed to have heard the conversation. I was confused,

"What's happening?" I asked him. He hissed a reply to me so only I could hear or at least I thought only I could hear,

"They aren't going to let us inside the city because we're infected. We're going to be taken to the leader, where we will meet with Lord Edgar at his request. We will have much to discuss. We can't go back into the city unless we are safe and cured"

"So where are we going?" I asked,

"A secure building around the other side of the Perimeter. I'm sorry ma'am, but you'll have to come with us" said Tommy, abruptly stopping our conversation. One of the soldiers muttered to him in a low tone, his expression emotionless as usual. I sighed angrily, how was it everyone could hear these guys but me? I turn to Jack who had tensed and was till scowling at the men, his lips a hard line.

"What is it?" I whispered, obviously they could still hear me. He shot me a warning look as if to say, 'Later'. I sighed, a lot of talking to do then. He smiled at me and held out his arm so we could link,

"Shall we?" he said throwing me a bad boy grin. I frowned. Men.

"Oh, may as well" I said and let him take my arm. I looked up to see the soldiers frowning at me.

"You should hold more respect woman" a bold one spat before turning on his heel with his comrades, leading the way. Jack snarled after them and looked down to my confused face,

"I'm sorry" he said,

"What for?" I replied. He sighed,

"Because you're a woman. The world has gone back to its old ways. Men rule, not a woman on the parliament, nor a woman that holds any world changing position in society. It's a sexist place now. I'm afraid you'll be treated like every other female in this place" he explained. My face dropped,

"Yeah" I muttered, "We'll see about that".

A/N: Review please!


	13. Waiting And Wondering

Jack POV

Grace sat next to me on one of the padded plastic chairs, straight unlike me as I slouched back, she was trying to look formal but I could hear her puffing in boredom. I chuckled to myself and she scowled at me for a moment before returned her curious gaze to the soldiers who were muttering in that low voice to the general of the building. Security had gotten reasonably tight after almost global extinction of the human race. I found her annoyance that she couldn't hear them quite amusing.

I had learnt to lip read so well in the war it had become a natural reaction; I had too when people were shouting commands at me while the bombs were going off. They were talking about what had happened at the house, the soldiers who were dead, asking about us. Of course, Tommy didn't mention anything about what myself and Gracie had talked about in the back of the car that he'd overheard because I'd asked him not to. He was a good guy Tommy. I remember our conversation about an hour ago. I had been sat in my own world for about five minutes when I was brought back as Gracie hummed a sigh and I realised she was leaning on me, peacefully sleeping. I chuckled as I wiped the hair from her face.

"Is she asleep?" asked the voice of the soldier up from. I whispered a reply, watching her as she breathed softly, walking in her land of dreams,

"Yeah, I'll wake her up in a moment. Can she sleep when we get there? Today seemed to have puckered her out". Falling through time and almost dying must have it set-backs.

"Oh sorry" he whispered in reply, reverting to his loud voice. I smiled,

"What's your name soldier?" I asked, our conversation in whispers,

"Thomas Newman, but everyone calls me Tommy"

"Nice to meet you Tommy"

"And what's your name?"

"Captain Jack Harkness, but everyone calls me Jack" I heard him laugh once,

"And who's your lady friend?" he said and I noticed his brown eyes eyed her in the rear view mirror. I snorted to myself,

"Grace Miller. Sorry buddy but she's taken". I heard him sigh,

"Oh sorry, didn't know she was your bird. The good looking ones are never single". I stifled laughter,

"She'll thank you if you say that when she's awake" I answered. He grinned a goofy smile,

"We'll see". They're was silence for a minute and then he muttered to himself,

"The lads will be tripping over each other to get in line for when they cure her, that's for sure". I couldn't make sense of his words so I asked,

"What do you mean?" he looked startled like my words as if he didn't mean to say what he said aloud and looked like he was cursing himself,

"I can't say" he replied. I sighed,

"Come on. Do you want me tossing and turning in bed all night?" I begged. He smiled to himself like it was a private joke,

"Sorry mate". I sighed, right, time for the old Harkness charm. After a few minutes of kissing up to him, he finally spilled the beans,

"Okay, well, don't tell anyone I said this but it's about the cure. When you get injected with it, you need to do something a bit unbelievable to react it with your system" he said, cautious with his use of words. This made me grin,

"What do you need to do?" I asked hearing the smile in my voice. He laughed nervously,

"Well, it's something about hormones and adrenaline, don't ask me about the scientific bit but, um, you have to have sex" he said. My smile dropped before I burst out laughing, a loud hearty laugh that made Grace frown in her sleep and wriggle about so I threw I bit my lip. When I had calmed down, Tommy was watching me with a raised eye brow.

"Are you saying that to survive, you have to sleep with someone? Talk about a miracle cure" I said, chuckling quietly to myself. He chuckled with me,

"Yeah, it is kind of great. But you've got to understand that she's a pretty girl, and although we have a lot of woman, the population is barely a fraction of what it was and our soldiers are really pushed with their work, they have barley any life outside of work. You'll understand why it has to be soldiers when they explain it to you because I don't really know, that isn't my part in the army. Anyway, it'll be like throwing a lamb to the wolves and saying let the lamb choose who eats her" he said. Suddenly the joke was gone. Gracie would have to sleep with some stranger to survive. I'm sure she would as it was a choice between life and death, but I didn't want her to have to do that. I frowned and fell into a world of my own.

Why was I acting like this, sure she was my employee, my friend, but it was her choice. I realised that I would have to do it too. Well, man or woman, I had no problem with that, not that I needed it. Tommy and I talked for another twenty minutes while I cradled Grace in my arms as she slept. We couldn't talk about any other topics as I didn't want to infiltrate his orders any further; I had more than enough to think about for the time being. We talked about the car and his gun, turned out they had a massive supply salvaged from the old days, the habit of calling them the old days rubbed off on me, and they had started reproducing them.

So the human race hadn't changed that much then. He asked me about our conversation before and I said I'd explain another time, he didn't mind, after all, secrets were his thing. Of course I wouldn't tell Gracie how long she had been asleep, poor girl. She'd go mad at me. I had a good impression on exactly what kind of person Tommy was. He was friendly, loveable and although he didn't have the brain of a rocket scientist, his heart was in the right place. He wasn't cut out to be a soldier, to stand in the front line of a war and draw blood. He wanted to be a writer really; surprising how back to normal life had gotten. He didn't have a girl to love, but when he got one she'd be a lucky girl. He wasn't unattractive either.

I watched him as he defended us against the uncertain and possibly jealous soldiers that he muttered with. Grace huffed against and let her hands drop to her lap in frustration. I smiled at her impatience and looked up to see Tommy glance at me and smile. I raised my eye brows and shrugged. Perhaps he didn't have a girl for a reason. This world was sexist, was it homophobic as well? Was the whole Grace thing an act so as not to seem weak to me? I smiled slyly to myself. Yep, still got it. Gracie cleared her throat to get my attention. I looked to her and she had her eye brows raised at me,

"Careful captain, we're a couple remember" she said, in a commanding voice that was obviously hinted to sarcasm. I grinned at her,

"Of course, after all, I couldn't risk losing you" I replied and I saw understanding on her face.

"So that's why- I can take care of myself you know" she said, taking the words in late. I rolled my eyes sarcastically and became serious,

"I sure you can, but you are not going to try that out here". Her smiled faded and she frowned before nodding her head and dismissing it,

"Sure Harkness". I tried lifting the mood,

"So I'm Harkness now?"

"Oh, of course, how silly of me. Sure, Jack" she said sarcastically. We both turned as the stamping of the soldier's feet when they lined up caught our attention. Lord Edgar walked in, a troop of the soldiers in scarlet scattered around him for protection.

A/N: Flashbacks, ah, such fun! Anyways review please x


	14. Lord Edgar

Grace POV

Lord Edgar was most certainly not what I expected. For some reason, I thought he would be some young, dashing, white toothed hero who would wear a lopsided crown and a long red cape, so I was washed over with quite a bit of disappointment when I saw he was some rather old, rather wrinkly seventy year old man, who had yellow teeth, a wig to cover his receding grey hair line and very dull blue eyes, seemed like they were covered in dust.

He walked reasonably straight for someone of his age, and he was garbed in very expensive looking clothes. I had to resist the urge to laugh when he smoothed his fake hair with his hands and carried himself so highly, like he was strutting in a very dodgy way. He obviously thought he was god's gift to woman, and with the amount of money I imagined he had, it was no wonder.

I saw Jack grin when he shouldn't as Lord Edgar waved his soldiers away. As he came towards us, Jack cleared his throat, my queue to stand. Lord Edgar smiled a very cheesy smile and threw his arms in the air,

"Welcome to Glasgow" he said and I was surprised he didn't have a Scottish accent. He was from London by the sounds of it. Perfect, a posh git in charge. He shook Jack's hand and when he turned to me I watched as his eyes literally popped out of his head. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Thank you" I said, trying to sound kind and that made him beam.

"You are very welcome" he said, slowing the words as he took my hand and kissed my knuckles. I tried not to grimace too much. I really needed a shower. Jack's smile had faded when he came back into view, "Shall we go somewhere more private to speak?" he continued and I looked at Jack for the answer; he was more the expert in these matters.

"Sounds like a good idea" said Jack as he unexpectedly pulled me to his side with an arm around my waist. God, he was protective. I almost laughed, or was he actually jealous? I was surprised when a few of the soldiers' faces dropped and one in particular grinned and held out his hand while another gave him something which I imagined was currency. I rolled my eyes; this was going to be fun, being the new girl on the block.

Jack kept his arm around me as we went down a lavishly decorated corridor, right down to the bottom where there was a door that seemed much richer than the others. I was brown pine with frosted glass so as not to see inside. I shrugged to myself; guess all the money from the country could be spared now for other things. We were followed by at least five soldiers and I could imagine where their eyes were when I walked. Men. Edgar opened the door and stood by, waiting for us to go through. I pulled out of Jack's grip and turned around to Jack, smiling slightly,

"Ladies first" I said and walked through the door.

Lord Edgar smiled, more like a wise man to young child then his cheesy trying to flirt on the sly smile I saw before. I found myself smiling back. Inside, again, I assumed wrong and expected it to be like an office, desks and chairs, filing cabinets, because that was what I imagined it was before the outbreak.

Yet, I thought I'd just gone through the wardrobe into a very rich house as I was confronted by several armchairs in front of a blazing fireplace. Everything looked so expensive. The curtains that were too big for the windows were draping green velvet; the wall paper looked like it was fit for the Queen's bedroom, and even the floor boards looked far too rich for my liking. Jack came in behind me and raised his eye brows in surprise,

"Nice" he muttered before dismissing it and falling into one of the armchairs. I rolled my eyes. I heard Edgar telling the guards that he didn't need anyone in the room and that we were perfectly safe. He shut the door and turned around beaming at us,

"Brandy?" he asked walking over to a cabinet that held small glasses and a glass bottle of brown whiskey.

"Sure" I said and fell into the arm chair besides Jack. Lord Edgar froze for a second, looking at me in surprise before shrugging and began to pour two glasses. Jack grinned at me and I mouthed, 'What?' to which he shrugged, shaking his head. I could imagine what he was thinking. Somthign along the line of 'Women'.

"I'll have one too if you don't mind, my lord" he said over his shoulder. I frowned,

"So he'd your lord now?" I said in a quiet voice so only Jack could hear. He grinned at me,

"It's a respectful term. Seems like Britain has gone back in time a little bit, so I figured it would fit. Habit from the old days" he replied, in the same low tone.

"Oh" I mouthed and he chuckled slightly. I never had been good at history. Edgar sat down in the chair across from us, putting the three glasses on a small table in between; it seemed like that was the table's only purpose. I took the glass and sipped it. I grimaced as the liquid burnt as it went down.

I coughed a little and put my glass back down. I heard both men chuckle at my attempt to drink it. Scowling at Jack, he hid behind his glass, drinking it all in one. Men, I thought. Lord Edgar didn't touch his, just watched us both as we messed about. I caught his gaze on me and straightened up; Jack just slumped still watching us.

"You surprised us this morning. Manchester has been empty for over forty years, and yet out of the blue you two pop up on our scanners. Would you care to explain who you are?" he said, pressing the tips of his fingers together and watching us both. I smiled gently and said,

"My name is Grace Miller. And this is my partner Captain Jack Harkness". Lord Edgar smiled at me until I spoke and then he watched us both like we were royal family or something by the pure gobsmacked expression he wore. I looked at Jack who had been watching me introduce us, who was now sat up straight looking at Edgar worried. He was also quite cautious. I swallowed,

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked in a confused voice. He didn't seem to hear me and instead replied in one murmured word that sounded like he didn't mean to say it aloud that made both me and Jack tense up,

"Torchwood…"

A/N: Dun dun dunnnnnn! Review please x

I just have to say that right now, at 4:50pm on Monday 19th of January 2009 in Blackley, Manchester, England, it is **SNOWING!!** And has been since 1:30 may I add. It's so heavy, it's like cotton wool falling from the sky! It's so fricken awesome! (I've given up swearing, hehe, I'm a good girl...) Sorry for that little outbreak, I am very random. It's an illness.

And yes, I based the story in my home time, I just know it so well, and I'm sure Lewrahfanfics will agree, its a frickin great Hometown at that!


	15. Tennis, What A Wonderful Game!

Jack POV

My mind was racing. He knew about us. We had to secure our safety, mainly for Gracie. I stood up instinctively and he seemed to shirk into his chair,

"How did you know about us?" I asked, sounding like a judge accusing a man on murder. His eyes were wide for a while but then he scowled at me.

"How did you get here?" he said, standing up. My lip curled,

"I thought I was the one asking the questions" I spat. He lifted his chin up,

"You are in my office; you are under judgement from me. You will answer my questions" he replied, his voice commanding. I was about to reply when I felt something press against my chest firmly. I looked down to see Grace's small hand there, trying to push me back. I realised I had been moving slowly forward towards Edgar in an attacking position. I turned to my side and she stepped between us, her face was disappointed. I suddenly felt ashamed and un-tensed watching her. I noticed that Edgar was watching her in the same manner out the corner of my eye, like a child being told off.

"Is it too impossible to not get violent?" she said, her voice so out of character I thought I was looking at a different girl. A different woman. When neither of us replied she continued, "we all have questions, and doing this we are getting no where. You two might be safe for now, but I have a deadly parasite swimming in my system, and at any second I could drop down dead. Please, lets act like grown up for once. How about we do this one question at a time. Like a tennis game until we're happy?" she finished switching her gaze from one to another, letting it rest on me for a long time and ending on the old man. He nodded and she turned to me. I sighed and nodded. She pushed me back into my seat. I shook my head; Grace had such impossible control over people. She sat on the arm of my chair, wanting to be more involved in the conversation. I pulled her onto my lap by her waist and she scowled at me. I grinned; this was going to be so fun.

"Ladies first" said Edgar and Gracie smiled at him. He was such a suck up.

"What do you mean we are being judged?" she asked. I listened to his reaction, smiling as she didn't try to get of my knee, or object to my arms around her waist. She so fancied me. The elderly man sighed and fell back into his seat,

"Well, like you've said, the two of you are infected with the parasite. You are a risk to everyone, and already everyone who has been near you so far is infected, including myself. I have to find out exactly what's going on with you and decide if we will cure you and allow you into the city" he replied. Old man had pretty bad hearing. Didn't she say I wasn't infected? I frowned,

"So you'll only cure is if we are worthy?" I asked. He shook his head,

"Tennis games remember" he said. I rolled my eyes,

"Yeah but there's two of us" I said. He smiled and Gracie replied,

"We are one". I couldn't help grinning,

"Dreams do come true Grace. You get to be me" she rolled her eyes and play punched me,

"Men" she muttered under her breath. I chuckled. Edgar asked,

"Are you two infatuated?" and I grinned,

"Oh, it's a little more than that" and was replied by a harder punch in the arm by Gracie. The man chuckled,

"Poor boys" he muttered, the second one today. I grinned,

"Lucky me. Anyway, my turn, How do you know who we are?" I continued. He smiled and replied,

"I'm afraid you two are quite a legend around these parts. People have dedicated decades to researching you and finding the answer to what happened to you. Which leads me my turn, how did you get here?"

Grace looked at me as if asking if she could answer. I smiled cheekily and said,

"Sure". She grinned and turned to Edgar and began to explain out story. She was trying to show she wasn't just an ordinary girl in this day and age. And I couldn't blame her. She had grown up in a world where men and woman are equal; this would be a difficult change for her. She would be looked down at for everything, and she won't even be able to say her opinion without being frowned upon. She would have to learn a whole new life. I listened as the last few days were retold. How we work at Torchwood and what sort of things we do how we went to the warehouse and fell through the crack into this time. How we were trying to find out what had happened here and came across the transmission. Going to the house, the fight and being captured. The old lord watched her words with so much wonder; it was like obsessing over a celebrity and then meeting them without a warning in the middle of the street. I must admit, she was a good story teller.

"Unimaginable" said the man, his voice full of awe, "this explains so much". He was murmuring to himself. Grace grinned at me.

"My turn?" she said and I nodded, "Okay, Lord Edgar, you have some explaining to do yourself. This parasite, it killed almost everyone, it spread so fast, what happened?" We both looked at Edgar; it was time to get the answer we had been waiting for. He sighed but smiled at us,

"Sorry, I forgot you didn't know. The truth is quite unbelievable, and before you ask, we don't tell the public the truth and you'll understand why when I've finished" he paused to see if we'd interrupt but we didn't, "After what you've told me, I think I have an explanation. Back in the old days, there were societies like Torchwood and UNIT who specialised in protecting the human race from alien threats. The rift in space and time underneath Cardiff, that's where it started. Every member of these societies disappeared off the face of the earth without warning. The first Torchwood that disappeared was Torchwood four, and then you two disappeared. Eventually, every member on the earth was gone. The world was left to the mercy of whoever first decided to attack". We sat in silence for a moment while he let us absorb the information. Gracie was frozen until she whispered,

"Everyone…" to which I tightened my grip around her waist,

"Shh. Later" I whispered in her ear. Edgar nodded his head when I looked to him and continued,

"A small black box fell from the sky and landed in a field in Cornwall. My father was on the team of scientists who studied it as I was only a boy at the time. I'm one of the only people today who saw the world before this alive today. The only thing on the box was three symbols. We couldn't translate them but we didn't care. We did the worse thing we possibly could of. We opened the box." I hissed at him,

"Were you trying to destroy us all!" I couldn't help but shout. Gracie tensed under my loud voice. I knew I was louder than anyone else she was used to being around with. I was different. I was from the 51st century. Edgar didn't falter at my words.

"We didn't know. All that was inside was a book. A book with a black cover. And the same three symbols. We did the worst thing in the whole of history. Worse than world wars, atomic bombs or gunpowder. We read the first two lines of the book. It was in a language we didn't understand but still we did it". I was shocked and Grace was confused. I knew exactly what it was.

"You didn't" I breathed but of course I knew they did. That's why everyone was dead. Gracie looked form my disgusted face to Edgar's calm one and asked,

"What was it? What was the book? Jack?" I looked down at her,

"The book was a prison" I said and Edgar nodded,

"It held the parasite in the darkness between the lines. When we read the first line and then flicked down to the second, it got into the system of the man who read it. He was the first to die. It got inside him and he became the host. It reproduced in his blood. We didn't even know anything had happened until it was too late. We were blind and it got out. The killer of the world started in Britain and spread world wide.

"There were no symptoms what so ever. People just started to drop dead without a warning. We've studied the past for years and figured out what happened. The parasite wasn't meant for humans and it couldn't survive in us for long. It died and the host died with it.

"It started out as sexually transmitted and then it mutated. We don't know what caused the mutation, but it became contagious through all bodily fluids. Blood, tears, sweat, saliva. The population dropped by half in a day. We were trying everything to contain it. We went to most infected areas and shot the infected. We hoped if we could kill everyone with it, we could save the healthy. It wasn't good enough.

"It did the one thing we hoped it wouldn't. It mutated again, mutated is the wrong word. It evolved. It became able to survive in the air. It spread like wild fire. Everyone was infected. But it evolved, it had changed. One symptom. At least an hour before it killed the host, the colour pigment in the eyes changed to red from the blood. The blood leaked like tears.

"It was able to live in the host for so much longer. It could hide for years. We searched blindly for a cure. By chance, one day, we found it. It was random trials, just injecting substance in people and seeing if it would cure it. We found it none the less. There wasn't enough to save everyone. We protected the main cities with things salvaged from bases like Torchwood one in London. We found this force field there" he laughed a sad laugh, "Oxygen. Pure oxygen was what we used to clear the air of the parasite. That was the thing it couldn't survive in at first. That's why it couldn't live in humans; our blood is saturated in oxygen. Just wear an oxygen tank for a day or two and you were safe to come inside the force field. Take the cure and in you go. Saved" he finished. He sighed sadly and looked at his hands, shaking his head.

"We couldn't save everyone" he muttered. I sighed and closed my eyes. Curiosity killed the human race. I laughed once at my own dark joke. I was there by my mother's side behind the safety glass when the time lords put the parasite in the book prison. I knew exactly what those three symbols were. The first one was Nex, the second one was Genocide and the third didn't have a direct translation but it meant roughly don't open. Grace put her head on my shoulder.

"Why has this happened Jack?" she whispered. I replied,

"I don't know Grace. But we'll fix this"

A/N: Answer time! Let me know what you think and review x


	16. Different

Grace POV

It was impossible, wasn't it? They were all dead because they opened and read from a book. Curiosity was the reason for all that death. It was Edgar's turn,

"Why did everyone fall through these cracks? It is targeting members of the societies on purpose?" he said, rushing through the questions.

"Hey hey, one at a time!" I said and turned to Jack, wanting to know the answer also. Jack sighed and rubbed his temples with his fingertips,

"Okay, this is what I think it's about, but I might not be right. Something happened that shouldn't of back in our time. It caused a change in event, a change in history. Something we did. As a result, the rift tried to heal itself by disposing of all the societies who changed it and the parasite is just a consequence. I don't understand what we did, but I'm going to figure it out. I'll fix this" he said. I frowned, that made sense, but what could we have done? Edgar nodded,

"Okay, I'll hold you to that. If and when you figure it out, you come see me. Harkness, I want to know what did this" he said, pointing a finger. Jack sighed,

"Sure, sure" he said. I smiled at him and turned to Edgar,

"My turn, It not the most important one, but I'm curious. How come your in charge?" I saw Jack look up at me surprised so I winked at him, 'shh, don't tell on me' it said. He grinned. I wanted to know how this guy managed to get such a high job. Edgar chuckled at me,

"Well, it was my father who discovered the cure. It killed my mother so he worked day and night to keep me alive. A year after he found it, he passed away. I guess the only reason he stayed alive was to give me a good life, to save everyone when he was one of the people who unleashed the parasite. He went to my mother. Anyway, I joined the army and worked my way up to this. People respect me, that's what my father gave me. A reputation" he said, with a smile. Jack returned the smile. He had possessed a lot of respect for war and soldiers after living through the great Second World War. I nodded my head, regretting my question.

"Sorry, I didn't know" I said and he laughed,

"I thought that was why you asked" he said and I smiled, looking away from him. He continued, "And we're back at me. So, Harkness, Miller, was there a reason you came out in here or was it random?" I grinned, so we're known by our last names now. Without asking I answered,

"That street we came out on was the street I grew up on. It's likely that when we were taken through time, the rift made a connection from where I had been the most in my life. As far as I know the fact that we came into the future and this time is just coincidence" I said and looked to Jack who nodded his head, indicated he agreed and had nothing to add.

"A lucky coincidence" said Edgar, "I'm glad the two of you are here". I smiled in thanks. Jack let his head rest on my back and sighed,

"Edgar, Why are the soldiers so inhuman?" he said, his voice muffled by my back. It was weird the way he was being so clingy to me. I knew he was just being protective, but what was he so afraid of?

"Ah" said Edgar, looking uncomfortable and I frowned,

"What?" I asked.

"The soldiers, haven't you noticed? They are strong, intelligent, have improved senses, and the capability of so much more. What's up with that Edgar?" he said turning to Edgar. The old lord sighed and took his glass of whiskey, downing it in one,

"Another?" he asked and Jack nodded, I shook my head. Whiskey wasn't my thing. As he stood up and poured two more glasses, he answered Jack,

"Those soldiers have the duty to go to other survivor cities with supplies and messages, to stop people escaping and basically working outside of the safety zone. They have to be constantly injected with the cure. It has side affects. Those are just some of them; they improve the bodies system beyond belief. But, they have to retire earlier as if they take it too often, it kills the body. We lost a lot of soldiers before we figured that out" he explained. Jack groaned and buried his head further into my back. I sighed,

"What the hell happened?" I asked my voice so low only Jack could hear.

"We need to fix this" he said through gritted teeth. I smiled,

"We will" and I turned to Edgar who had sat back down and put the two glasses on the table, "Lord Edgar, it's your turn" I continued and he smiled at me,

"Of course. When you say you'll fix this, what do you mean?" he asked. I sighed,

"We are going to go back to our time and set this right before it happened. The things that will go different in the future will be unforgivable. People who were born will die. People who should have died will live. Wars will take place that haven't. So much darkness. But the human race will survive" I replied. Jack lifted his head,

"So far our only option is to get back to our hub, get our machinery working and wait around for another crack. Go through it and see where it takes us. We must pray one will take us home. There is nothing else we can do" Jack added, something more in his voice. Something like regret and maybe disappointment? Edgar sighed,

"This meeting has turned very depressing. Your turn". I took charge while Jack thought things through in his head,

"This cure, what is it exactly?" I asked. He smiled,

"It is a solution of many different substances, the main one being liquid oxygen. Funny how something we take so for granted would save us all. Anyway, it has to be injected into the external carotid artery, the ulnar artery and the femoral artery, where you feel your pulse in the neck, wrist and thigh. This is the main way to get around the system without penetrating it to heart directly. It holds some components that are deadly to the body. If you want I will give you a list of everything in it but I don't know them off by heart. Anyway, with the solution in the body you need to react with adrenaline and certain hormones that are realised in the body during sexual intercourse. So far that is the only thing that will react the solution with the body" he said. I looked at him gobsmacked,

"You have to have sex to be cured?" I asked and he smiled,

"I'm afraid so. No survivors are virgins" it felt so weird talking about sex with an old man.

"Wait, wait so this solution can be deadly?" I asked and he shook his head,

"The components are deadly, but when it is diluted with the others, we discovered it was safe to use. However, sometimes our bodies don't react kindly to them so some people only have one chance with it. It isn't amazing, but it's all we've got. Only the strong physically and mentally can survive with this. This is what we had to come to" he said shaking his head. With a dark laugh he said, "That's why the lads love their job". I grimaced. I have to have sex if I want to live? Well that's just great. And who exactly would I have to do that with? In fact, I didn't really want to know. I sighed; I'd deal with this later. Jack lifted his head and whispered in my ear,

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you" and I frowned,

"You knew?"

"Yeah, Tommy told me" he said. I frowned,

"Are you okay Jack?"

"Yeah, just a lot to get over in a day"

"Okay, Your turn Edgar" I said, turning back to Edgar who was smiling, waiting for us to finish,

"We will much time to talk Grace. From your first sentence I believed you and it would be wrong of me to send you away. My question now is do you want to come into the city?" he said, seeming to ignore Jack. And I couldn't really blame him, Jack was so still, he looked dead. I smiled faintly,

"That would be wonderful" I said and he smiled, standing up,

"I'm afraid this isn't my job. I'll send in the person's coordinator, Brian Hemsworth. He'll sort out your home, occupation and will be your assistant throughout curing" he added with a sigh from me, "most of the cure process. You'll see, Miss Miller" and with that he left me and Jack alone. I sighed and patted Jack on his shoulder as he still had his head on my back and went to get up, only to brought abruptly back by Jack's arm around my waist.

"No" he moaned, seeming asleep. I frowned and tried to turn. He wouldn't let me move. I was beginning to panic. He must have heard my heartbeat increasing as he let go of me and I stood up quickly. I turned around, scowled and frowned all at once. He looked awful. He had lost colour form his face and looked like he's puck any minute.

"Jack!" I said and came to my knee, putting my hands on his. I knew exactly what was happening. He was about to die. The infection must be speeded up in his different body; he may be human but we certainly evolved a lot in the future, he was basically a different species. The parasite was going to kill him. He looked at me with apologetic eyes,

"I'm sorry" he mouthed and I gasped, grabbing his hands and holding them in mine. They were like ice.

"Jack, it's killing you" I said and he smiled faintly,

"I've been through worse" he mouthed. He smiled at me and I froze when I saw his eyes. They were ruby red.

"What do I do?" I asked, feeling stupid because tears were filling my eyes. He wouldn't actually die but this was the first time I'd actually seen him do this. This was my first time in the field with Jack. And he was crying too. Tears of blood. I felt my chest heave in shock.

"Keep them out" he whispered and fell back into the chair. I gasped and reached up, putting my hand to his cheek. It was freezing.

He was dead.

A/N: Aw! Poor Jacky! Let me know what you think and review please x


	17. Quick Recovery

Jack POV

I was brought back yet again and opened my eyes with a gasp. Grimaced at the fowl taste in my mouth I spat on the floor. I blinked as the last of the darkness melted away from my vision. I cursed and sat up, seeing a panic stricken Grace sat in front of me, trembling. Frowning, I reached my hand out to touch her only to see her flinch away, and to my horror, discover she was scared of me. I realised she had never seen me die before and it must have spooked her. Smiling apologetically, I said in a soft voice,

"Hey kiddo, you okay?" to which she tensed and said,

"It's wrong" in a quiet voice and her eyes narrowed. I closed my eyes and sighed,

"I know it is. I should be dead a few thousand times over but I'm not. I'm sorry you had to see that" I replied and she shook her head and seemed to shake off all her tension and fear,

"No, don't apologise. It just, I don't know, startled me. I never imagined…" but she trailed off, shaking her head. I smiled and stood up, feeling the blood rush to my legs again and making me a bit wobbly. She looked at me and smiled back.

"So, you kept them out" I said trying to change the subject. She smiled and tilted her head to the door,

"You were talking about breaking up and stuff because of all the shock and fear you've been feeling lately. Edgar sent Brian in and he's waiting outside. Most of the generals, lieutenants and people like that know the truth about us. As do the board of governors that are in charge of all the survivors bases. Turns out they aren't camps because they're permanent" she told me and I marvelled at her idea,

"There might be hope for you yet kiddo" I said just as the door opened and I turned to see a young man with gorgeous brown eyes and a dazzling smile walk in. He saw us both and asked,

"Is everything alright Miss Miller?" to which she smiled and replied,

"Perfect thank you. I appreciate you waiting, we didn't mean to keep you" to which he smiled again,

"Nonsense, whatever you need I will provide. Are you ready to talk homes?" he said indicating to the folders he held in his arms. He directed this question at me and I smiled in reply,

"Captain Jack Harkness, I don't believe we've met" I said, holding out my hand which he took with a firm grasp,

"We haven't, I'm Brian" he replied in a soft voice. I grinned at him and he grinned back. There was cough from behind and I realised I still had Brian's hand. Oh yeah, of course I was pretending to be Grace's partner in more ways then one. She smiled when we both turned,

"I think we are thanks" she said and both I and Brian sat down, while he put the folders down beside his chair. I made a metal note not to flirt with him. Too much anyway. I sighed and listened to Brian mutter on and on about how there were a lot of houses in Glasgow that were left open. How there were roads for cars, shopping centres for everything we needed, provided by fresh food from the huge farm. There were parks and open areas away from everyone else but there were only under a hundred or so in the city, so it was normally very quiet. The city was set. Hospitals, food, sewage system, water, electricity, gas; as if nothing had ever happened. I couldn't really imagine how they could just go on with life after what had happened, but that's the human race for you, even in the darkest hour, they will find a way to survive and live on. I was brought back by an unexpected question,

"Will the two of you be living together or separately" he asked and I froze for a moment, wide eyed before looking cautiously in the direction of Grace. Me and Grace living together? She looked confused at me.

"Um, Can we talk this over for a sec?" she asked Brian and he nodded, smiling crookedly, obviously amused. She grabbed me by my coat and pulled me over to the side,

"Right Harkness. I'm going to live alone right?" she said in an rushed whisper,

"We should live together" I replied, thinking about it and she huffed,

"Why?" she asked,

"Because I don't want to let you out of my sight" I said and she hissed at me,

"I'll be fine Jack!"

"You wouldn't' live with your boyfriend?" I teased, trying to lift her mood but she scowled at me,

"I'm living alone Jack" she replied. I smirked, it was usually the other way around in this argument couples had. Oh no. We're not a couple Jack, and don't forget that, I told myself.

"Look. Just for a while. You need to be close to me while we sort things out, and then we're going to the hub. Just until we get used to things. Please Gracie" I said and this seemed to convince her as she sighed,

"Fine! But I'm making a set of rules, Harkness. And we are having different rooms, boyfriend or not!" She was so stubborn. I grinned and turned back to Brian,

"Together" I announced ad he beamed at us,

"Wonderful. I've got a few properties I think you'll like. We'll see them later. Anyway, Lord Edgar says you'll be going to Cardiff soon, am I right?" he asked as we sat back down. I nodded in reply, "Right well, I'll have passes and papers made for you so you'll have as much clearance in all the towns as he does. You'll be unbelievable important. You have no idea how long we have waited Captain Jack Harkness does not do. The fate of the world rested on our shoulders. Well, it often did, but this time I'd seen what happened when I didn't save them. I sighed,

"Sure, sure. Thanks Brian" I said and he beamed

"No problem. Now, we should go see the scientists and get you two cured. Plus we need to get all your health information" he said and I held back a cringe. How would I explain that my parasite miraculously disappeared?

I smiled un-encouragingly as he picked up his folders and walked out with us.

A/N: Quick recovery or what? haha, the next chaps cuts all this boring stuff and goes to curing :D


	18. Making A Difference

Grace POV

The room wasn't too big, but the mirrors that covered the walls like wallpaper made the tiny, dazzlingly white room look huge. It had the distinctive smell of disinfectant in the air like a hospital; I'd always hated that smell. There was one of those metal operating tables with a white sheet on that I sat on quiet happily while Dr. Hanson and Dr. Williams did all sorts of tests and examinations on me. They were both rather tall men, one a feisty brunette and the other a calm, professional blonde. They certainly turned a few heads, mine included. But of course Jack had the ingenious idea of telling everyone we were infatuated. Well, that was the best idea he could have had; not. Honestly, it was as if he thought that as soon as his back was turned I'd be running away with the milkman and he'd never see me again. Although, that could have been one of his worries. Of I fell in love with someone in this time then I would probably never go with him, or demand that my lover comes with me. That could cause problems. Also, there was the idea that maybe Jack didn't want to be alone. Actually, that made a lot of sense. Wow,

I'd been pretty tough on him really.

"Her blood group is O" said the familiar voice of Dr. Williams while Dr. Hanson put my information into a computer. Dr. Williams was momentarily cleaning and bracing my mangled arm that everyone else had conveniently missed when I had arrived. I certainly hadn't. I smiled at him while he bandaged around it and he smiled back. Thank god for anaesthetic. They had discovered, so far, that I had no life threatening diseases, I didn't have any conditions that would affect the process of curing, that I was a bit sick, weak and physically exhausted. I imagined that was because of my near-death experience but they pumped me full of something yellow and I felt fine. I was basically healthy apart from the deadly parasite that was swimming happily in my blood and mutating by the second, infecting everyone around me and could cause any of us to drop dead immediately. Apart from that everything was okay. Dr. Williams grinned at me and I smiled back.

"All we have to do now is cure you" he said to me and my smile dropped. Talk about bedside manners.

"Yeah, no biggie" I muttered and he smiled before nodded at Dr. Hanson. He began fussing about, sorting things out to cure me. I sighed, "This should be fun" I said and Dr. Williams smiled at me,

"I'm sorry, but it's the only way"

"No it isn't" replied the voice of Dr. Hanson with his back to us. I froze,

"What did you say?" I asked and Dr. Williams smiled sickly at me,

"Nothing, he's talking nonsense" ad Dr. Hanson turned around, determined,

"No I'm not. She's different Pete, she's from another time! Imagine what she went around to get here, in fact you can see what it's done but she stronger, stronger than any of us! She can take it, Pete, just try-"

"That's enough!" Dr. Williams cut him off, "Do you not understand how important she is! The risk isn't worth it. We've discussed this, Gabriel!" he snapped and I barked at the both,

"My name is Grace Miller, twenty four years old, second in command, technical expert and UNIT liaison for Torchwood three and my current condition is infected" the both blinked at me in shock for a moment, "What's the secondary cure?" I demanded. They glanced at each other and Dr. Hanson replied,

"It isn't a cure officially" and I looked at him sternly so he continued, "We discovered that there is a way to combat the Parasite without necessarily going through the long and difficult path of the cure we use now. It's a simple, short vaccine-" but he was cut off again,

"And the reason it isn't a cure officially is because the only people to have survived it this far have died within a week from emotionally distress or their bodies couldn't take it" continued Dr. Williams. I gasped,

"You use humans!"

"They are the only species still in existence" he explained

"Haven't enough people died already?" I accused,

"This could cure the weak and helpless as well as the strong and willing" exclaimed Dr. Hanson

"What do you mean?" I frowned,

"Haven't you figured it out? Only the strong can go through with the other cure because only they last long enough and can complete the process. It doesn't work every time and some only have one chance and getting cured before the Parasite becomes immune". He glanced warningly at Dr. Williams who just looked back.

"No…" I whispered. I thought everyone could be saved. Everyone had been saved. But some of them had just been thrown back out there to die? It's inhumane. I laughed at my own thoughts. This is what the human race has resorted to, back to the old 'survival of the fittest'. Oh God, all those people who had to die.

"I'll do it" I said and they both blinked at me.

"You will?" asked Dr. Hanson.

"All those people have died, if I can help save more lives because I'm strong enough for you to figure out how this works, then I will. I walked into that crack for a reason, I must have. I spend everyday saving lives, why should that change now?" They blinked at me. In a rush, Dr. Hanson dashed to the back of the room and pulled out a black suitcase. Dr. Williams smiled at me and pulled the sleeve of my good arm up. He cleaned my skin with a cotton wool ball.

"If anyone finds out we've done this, they'll have our heads. But if it's already done, then the punishment will be worth it. And I'm sorry, I really am but this is going to hurt"

I smiled weakly,

"How much?" he sighed and shrugged sadly,

"The other cases have been writhing in agony for up to three days before it subsided. The parasite does try to defend itself, but eventually, it will be over. I'm sorry" he repeated and Dr. Hanson returned with a needle of black liquid. I looked up at the mirror I knew Jack was sat behind and smiled weakly,

'It's okay' I mouthed before Dr. Hanson asked,

"Are you sure about this?" and I nodded before he plunged the needle into my arm and I felt the liquid burn through my veins. That was when I started screaming.


	19. Demands

Jack POV

I banged my fists against the one-sided glass in anger,

"Damn it Gracie!" I cursed even though I knew she couldn't hear me. I had just lip-read her whole conversation and now she was volunteering for some experiment that no one had survived so far. What the hell was she playing at? Why would she take the risk? One of the doctors pulled out a needle and a small bottle of black liquid. I cursed again and turned to one of the soldiers behind me,

"Let me in there!" I demanded and he shook his head,

"It ca only be opened form the inside, sir" he replied in a clear, sharp soldier tone. I growled and turned back to see the fear in Grace's eyes as the painful experience ahead of her was described. I gasped,

"Who's idea was that?" I snapped and the soldier replied,

"Lord Edgar's" and I groaned. Of course. How could I wade this out without her? How? I couldn't do this without her beside, helping me along. I'd seen so much death and so many years, I was sick to death of it. And we had barely any chance of getting back. Life was tough enough already.

"Grace!" I bellowed as my fist collided with the glass again. It didn't even tremble. I cursed, "Don't do this!" I shouted and I saw her gaze flick up to me. I froze as I thought she could finally hear me but she wasn't looking straight at me, just at her reflection she could see. But I knew she knew I was here.

'It's okay' she mouthed and I closed my eyes in defeat. How could I bare to see this happen?

That was when he injected her and she collapsed against the blonde haired Doctor, her scream managed to pierce my ears before she fainted, even through the glass.

I gasped and held my breath.

The blonde doctor picked her up, one hand under her knees, the other on her back as her head flopped against his neck, her eyes scrunched in pain. She couldn't become unconscious properly. The other doctor opened the door and that was when I was able to hear her screams again, quieter then before, but the pain she was feeling was so obvious, it was unbelievable.

Shaking, I leapt to her side. She was in agony. And there was nothing I could do. The blonde doctor looked at me with eyes of sorrow, and of regret. He whispered his excuse and carried her around the corner, from my sight. The other doctor put a hand on my shoulder,

"She'll be alright-" he began but I didn't let him finish. In one fluid movement, I had him against the wall. I hissed through gritted teeth, my fists tightening around his white coat,

"If anything happens to her, if she doesn't recover, if she dies, then I will do exactly the same to you. I don't care what she said, you never should have done that. You make sure she lives through this. Got it?"

He closed his eyes and sighed, seeming not to be affected by my threats, but when he met my gaze, he was scared. Almost rigid with fear. Btu whether it was for himself, I had no idea.

"Yeah, I got it. I told you, she'll be alright. She's a strong girl". And with a scoff I let go of him. He was a terrible liar.

A/N: Short I know, and I apologise. But the next chapter will be much longer, as soon as I've written it. :D


	20. Changes

**Grace POV**

Cold. So cold. So cold I'm burning. My blood is like ice and the blazing agony my throat feels every time I breathe in what feels like liquid air is unbearable, yet endure I must. I am sweating in the heat of this stone tomb. It's probably freezing down here, but compared to me, it's like a desert.

I'm lying on a stone floor, uncomfortable and hard, as it blisters my skin with the heat it's giving off. The faint sound of water dripping from somewhere was ever-present, a sound that made me grind my teeth.

I am not alone, however. Jack is sat next to me, his face calm and pained. Well, that's what I imagine it looks like, as I can't see him. And I imagine he would be tense at the same time. He's been here the whole time; I'm not sure how long it's been. A week maybe? It feels longer.

Holding my hand, rubbing my forehead and forever whispering words of comfort. 'It'll be alright', 'It'll be over soon' and 'Why the hell did you do this?!' When he goes into one of his tantrums. I couldn't speak, or see, or even hear him clearly, but I could feel. He was scared for me. And I was so glad I wasn't alone.

I didn't sleep, neither did he. I didn't eat, neither did he. Nor did we leave that room.

But I didn't scream. Not anymore. I had chosen to do this, and now I faced the consequences. I wouldn't let this break me. It's only a bit of pain, nothing I can't handle. Okay, maybe more then a bit.

The room's shaking, or is that me? I'm not sure. But either way, movement is one of the only things I recognize. Although, there is that sound of my heartbeat. So very weak. So very slow. Yet so awfully loud.

And then, unexpectedly, there's warmth. Such a blessed golden feeling. First it's my feet, and my fingers. I feel the icy chill of the damp room, and the sweltering heat of Jack's hand. Sparks of life dripping back. Like a ripple effect, it happens everywhere on my body. As if it were a switch, the cold is turned off.

As if it were an engine being kick started, my heart suddenly begins to beat like its going out of fashion. Racing and racing until I'm out of breath. My eyes lids force apart, as my vision demands to see light again. And I gasp, my lungs demanding the fresh air they have been deprived of for so long. It seems my body hated this defeated state as much as my mind did.

Sitting up carefully, I blinked at this strange feeling of…normal. No pain, nor cold, nor anything. It was actually over.

"Kiddo!" exclaimed Jack, making a jolt to grab me as I swayed, trying to get on my feet. I saw him grin brightly before I toppled and fell into him, blocking my view.

…………

The door opened with such a whine, it made me deaf momentarily after so long in almost silence. I was greeted by a face-full of steam before I found myself looking up into the face of a blonde man, with sparkling blue eyes. I blinked in surprise. I knew that face. He was a doctor. Doctor something….

"Hello there" he said and I frowned,

"Hello" I replied, my voice sounding so strained it shocked me. Then my mind kicked in. The blurriness that clouded it disappeared and a million thoughts hit me at once. My frown creased more,

"Little tip for you. The liquid oxygen made me so cold, I was burning, therefore, put them in a colder room than that of the temperature of liquid oxygen so they don't get blisters. Also, the hot liquid cocaine you put in there to co-affect the oxygen and to ease the pain didn't work. It got stuck in my Brachial and didn't leave my arm. You need a stimulant to keep it moving around the body. Also…" I smacked my lips a few times, "The peppermint just pissed me off". He gaped at me before replying,

"We'll need a full statement of your experience and-and to do some more tests on the results…". I smiled and replied,

"I need a shower. No, a bath. A hot bubble bath. Then I want some painkillers, and a glass of wine, preferably something French and old. Oh, and red…Red wine's good…"

Jack grinned at the blonde man and scooped me out of him arms. Doctor Williams didn't seem to move much, just stood there with his eyebrows raised,

"Do a quick test on her now, then, in about three days, when she'll have awoken, I'll pump her full of coffee and send her your way Doc" he said as he pulled my arm over his shoulder and walked me out.

…………….

The house was beautiful. I stood, gazing at it in wonder, with a blanket over my shoulders after Jack helped me out of the car. A vast white mansion, blocking the sun and showering us in shadow stood in front of me. I saw six windows on the front, centred around a wooden door with a huge knocker. The garden was about the length of the house, neat and fresh. The scent of nature lingered in the air. It was undoubtedly Victorian, and very rich.

Its interiors were classic. All detailed and well-kept furniture that looked like it belonged in some fifties musical, as if Fred Astaire would come out tap-dancing and singing his heart out any moment.

Yet, so seemingly out of place, was the modern kitchen. It was as if a little piece of the 21st century was seeping into this vintage setting. With a shimmering black cooker, fridge-freezer and marble table tops, it felt like home. Sitting on one of the stools by the breakfast bar, I watched Jack pull out a wine rack and browse carefully. He pulled several out before he showed me one,

"French. And red. 1787 Chateau. Good year, bit bitter but over all one of my favourites. To the ladies liking?" he asked and I smiled, taking the bottle out of his hands and running my thumbs over the condensation as it dripped down slowly.

"Perfect" I replied and he grinned, before pulling out several draws in search for glasses and a bottle opener. I yawned loudly,

"So, while you do whatever you do, I'll take a bath" I said, pulling myself onto my feet. He glanced up,

"What do you want to eat?" he asked and I blinked,

"Um…Surprise me" I replied,

"No meat though. Humans being the only species and all" and I smiled,

"No problem, I'm vegetarian" I announced and he frowned,

"Really? Oh, so that's why you always give Ianto your pepperoni!" and he suddenly became solemn and silent, following a line in the wood of the draw with his eyes. I knew why. Ianto Jones was the culprit. "You know, those three days I spent in that room with you made me think. Made me realise. I've always taken him for granted". He carried on with his own thoughts.

I would never understand the pain caused when everyone you love wilted and died when you had to keep living. Jack had sworn to himself never to fall in love again, because it just caused too much pain, but his heart had other ideas. Jack loved Ianto. I walked over and put a supportive hand on his arm,

"We'll get back. Just you watch. You'll see him again, I promise" I replied and he smiled at me before pulling me into a hug. He silently said his thanks.

"Now, if you don't mind, I need to pee. And then, my bath is waiting. Where's the bathroom?" he chuckled and shrugged,

"You tell me". I grinned,

"Oh, I can never resist an adventure!" I said, turning to face the maze that was our new home. Then something made me think and I turned back, "Harkness can cook?"

He grinned at me, pulling out several pans and making for the fridge,

"Harkness can cook" he replied.

**A/N: Argh! I've had writer's lock due to exhaustion for so long! If my writing isn't like normal then please, my apologies! :( **

**Gunna skip a bit now, just to cut this story short! I've decided it'll be a series, and it'll be DoctorWho/Torchwood crossover like I've already said! Keep up! And I'll be a long story... :D Review please!**


	21. Cardiff

Jack POV

Once, twice, three times she hits the target in the same spot. Splinters and sawdust litter the air and she brings her German cutaway handgun - that she had made especially for herself - down to her side with subtle grace, not taking her eyes of the mauled wooden carving of a man ten metres in front of her. The man dematerialized before her and she broke eyes contact. It was a mere warm-up.

Moving back to the table behind her, she reloaded the weapon and pulled out its twin from a belt at her waist. Looking up to the small room, visible through the bulletproof glass, that was the only break in the flat, stainless steel walls, she gave a sharp nod. A man in the room nodded in reply and started the program.

Grace span round, both her handguns in front of her, and changed into a solider. She was no longer that young woman I saw everyday, nor that girl who giggled when she got drunk, nor that smiling team mate who gave me truckloads of paperwork every morning I walked into the hub. She was changed into a killer.

She stood, just watching as the situation unfolded around her. The holographic program was of a gang of men, all black and hooded, looming around her. There were on-looking civilians, hostages and other fellow police officers. A young girl, a teenager, cried as one man pulled tighter on her hair. I'd watched Gracie go through every stage of this program, from one man to a gang, then adding hostages, and innocents till eventually she hit this level. And I knew that that cry was all it would take for her to react.

In one swift movement, she began shooting. Her eyes flashing from man to man, following every movement and reacting towards that. The flashing lights and bangs that were put in to distract her had no effect. She hit them only to disarm them, or as flesh wounds. When all the innocents were released, she stopped, as she always did. A moment of mercy, where she would give them a last chance. And being the program it was, the men didn't take it and merely carried on fighting.

She then brought them down, with bullets in their organs or in limbs so they were made immobile. But she wouldn't kill unless necessary. That was how Grace was. The men all fell to the ground and Gracie straightened out. She lowered both her weapons and watched as the little girl ran and fell into the arms of one of the older women in the crowd. Her mother. Yet she did not smile in pride, or satisfaction. Merely nodded to the officers to clean up, and get the injured to hospital.

That was when I noticed one of the hostages, a woman, in her early twenties, who had been cowering behind a man while the fighting went on, look at Grace with eyes of murder. Reaching behind her, I knew what would happen before it did. She pulled out a gun, a small compact and brought it round roughly, until it was aiming at Gracie's back. I shot her in the chest before she could even blink.

Grace span round, her eyes dangerous, her gun aimed at my chest after the sound reached her. When she saw it was me she lowered her weapon and followed my gaze to the bleeding woman.

"What would you do without me?" I teased and she grinned, putting her handguns in her belt,

"I would lie on the floor bleeding to death. I still got a long way to go then huh?" she replied and I shook my head in mock disgust,

"You spend more time in this room then you do at home". The situation dematerialized until it was just bullets on the ground,

"Yeah, yeah…" she shrugged. This was Gracie's way of letting off all those bottled up feelings. Not anger, nor stress, but sorrow. She was stuck here, with no way back to her home. At least she didn't get an eating disorder, or turn into a health freak, she just spent her spare time blowing holes out of holograms to her hearts content.

Looking at her wristwatch, she exclaimed,

"Oh damn! I was meant to be at Amber's an hour ago!" Amber was our neighbour. Our only neighbour really. She was a single mother who lived with her little girl, Lei. Grace and Amber had really hit it off and were now two peas in a pod. Grace would willingly babysit sometimes, if Amber had to work late or if she had a date and Amber would always invite her round for wine and a gossip.

We'd moved up to Cardiff a few weeks after we'd arrived in Glasgow. There was no official site here to we made one, and now, I'm in charge of it. The alpha male, so to say. And Grace is my second in command; Lieutenant-General Miller. I'm the only one - apart from Lord Edgar and his council of field marshals but we don't count them as he doesn't seem to do much - that is higher then her. Not that she could get higher then Torchwood, but she doesn't like to use that title.

We moved the house, quite simple really, with a Zyphonian transporting ray. She seemed to like that old Victorian house. Belonged to some rich Duchess in the day if I remember correctly. And it's still standing now, over two centuries later. Time is certainly something. New Cardiff hardly has only a small population, two hundred or so, although that was an extremely large amount considering. Most of them are soldiers.

Little Lei had been here at the military base over a dozen times, and some of Gracie's men are fond of her, the sweet little thing. Personally, kids aren't my sort of thing. But they are something of a rarity now-a-days. It seems only a small collection of the cured could reproduce. Messed their insides up, gave them scarring and brought on pre-mature menopause. Ironic how Lei was an accident.

Gracie had made a breakthrough with the newest form of injected cure, yet it was still being perfected. She had helped them for a while, having majored in science, but she couldn't stand being in another city from me.

We'd been trapped here for over a month now. We hadn't even found the hub yet, half of Cardiff collapsed in a freak earthquake, brought on by rapid changes in the atmosphere. Well, when almost all the creatures on the Earth die, it was sure to have some effect on the climate.

Gracie smiled at me and asked,

"Is that still okay?"

"Sure, kiddo, but be careful". She laughed at me, and I grinned. Gracie was a big girl; she could take care of herself. She picked up a box of bullets, and slipped it into her pocket. She raised her eyebrows at me,

"Happy now?" I just smiled dashingly at her,

"Just get going before I change my mind" and she winked at me before skipping out the door. I smiled and shook my head, looking down. That girl would be the death of me.

Just then a small man with a bushy moustache and an army cap sliding off his head burst into the room and came jogging up to meet me with two soldiers at his heels. He spluttered as he tried to catch his breath,

"G-General" he salutes along with his two privates. I grin and salute back,

"Sergeant Webster, privates. What news?"

"We've found it sir!" and I freeze before I burst out in a huge grin and run clean past them out of the room. They'd found the Hub.

**A/N: Yay! I'm back to regular uploads! Whoop whoop! I had trouble getting from A (being the last chapter) to B (being this chapter and the next, going forward in time) so hopefully it came out alright! I'm not very proud of this chapter, but I like the beginning...Review please :D**


	22. The Voice, The Girl And The Wizard Of OZ

**Warning: It's so long, I shocked myself! Since when could I write :O**

Grace POV

As always silence lingered in the street. A dead silence. Ever now and then the synthetic breeze would rustle leaves or garbage and give a subtle background noise, but it wasn't real. Not after living in a place where silence was a rare blessing.

In the force-field, weather could change at the flick of a switch. We had plenty of sunshine, and ever few days, we would have showers. In the summers, they would be heat waves, and in winter there'd have snow, and even in autumn, there would be wind. They tried to follow seasonal patterns, but none could compare to the real thing.

Twilight was darkening, and the street lamps were brightening. I walked along quietly, my head in the clouds. The breeze blew my hair about, but I didn't mind. Both Private Thomas and Private Jameson had offered me a lift but I preferred to walk, it gave me time to think. To remember. It seemed like home was a whole lifetime ago.

I had become lieutenant-general Miller, and I had my own personal squad. Fourteen boys all under my control, and they're my bodyguards, advisors and friends. So far, they've been the only ones who haven't gone' A female general?' with a looks of disgust. I know everything about my men, their families and homes, even their eating habits.

Something brought me out of my daydreaming, and up to that point, I wasn't sure what. A soft breeze trickled through the street as I stopped walking, and just listened. Something wasn't right. That was when I heard it.

It sounds like an engine, humming quietly, and every now and then something like a pump would whine once. And there was a voice. A velvety, high-pitched voice. The words it whispered were unknown to me. A language I couldn't decipher. Then I said my name,

"Grace…" I froze. This noise was different to anything I'd ever heard. It was musical, unique and so very alien. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. I don't know why, but I began walking the way I came, searching for the person who was speaking to me.

"Beware…Grace…Beware…" it whispered as I walked past an alley. My head snapped to the side and for some reason, I began walking down this alleyway. Darkness clouded the alleyway, and the walls seemed to be closing in, getting nearer and nearer to me. The floor was wet and gave a sort of nail-on-chalk sound every time I put my foot down.

There was a light, a small spot light that hung on the side of a building. It flickered every now and then, a slow dying battery. Then I noticed it. It was undetectable, and very grubby, but I saw it in the light. I stopped, just next to it, and bent down. It's cold in my hand, and when I rubbed my finger across it, it revealed the strangest of patterns. Swirls and circles all compacted over each other in a strange way.

"He will come…Grace…Miller…Beware…" it whispered and I felt fear bubbling inside of me. Who is this person? Is it even a person?

"He will come…" I ran. Back down the alley-way and out into the lit street, now sheeted in darkness. I gasped and panted, but I kept running. I turned the corner and ran off the street. I still clasped it in my hand.

I stopped when I saw someone in front of me. A little girl. She looked up at me and her eyes burned through me. Her hair flowed down her back and blends with a long brown cape she wore. She looked so out of place, yet she blended perfectly.

"I know what you have" she said in a voice far too intelligent. Far too wise. It scared me.

"What is it?" I asked, unsure why. Of all the things I could have asked. 'Who are you?' 'What do you want?' 'Were you following me?'

"It is a watch, of course". She replies and I looked down at the dusty fog watch in my hand, "you must not open it". She continued. I frowned,

"Why?" and she replied,

"It is not the right time for it to open". I feel that fear bubbling more and more, threatening to spill over into my mind,

"When will be the right time?" I asked and she smiled,

"When he comes". I froze,

"Who is he?" I asked and she tilted her head at me,

"Come to me" and she pointed to a run down building to her right, "And I will do your cards". She revealed a pack of Tarot cards. I frowned, swallowing my fear,

"Will they give me the answers I seek?" I asked and she nodded her head. I nodded at her before turning and running away, back the way I should have gone. The way towards Amber's house. I was more then late now.

"I will come soon" I whisper into the night, feeling sure she heard it. That girl was something different, and this watch was more then a watch. I push them to the back of my mind. Amber couldn't know anything was amiss.

………………

I knocked on her door, and heard her rushing about inside. I heard something fall and break, and then her mutter a curse. The door opens and I see a flushed Amber looking at me suspiciously.

"About time? Where've you been?" says Amber in that lovely, very broad Scottish accent of hers. I smile and shrugged,

"Lost track of time Am, sorry!" I said as she steeped out of the way for me to step in. I saw a picture had fallen off the wall and had cracked. I smiled, that's Amber, clumsy thing.

Little Lei came running at me and held her arms out for a hug, I bent down and picked her up, she was only four, and had the brightest smile I'd ever seen. She bounced of my hip and played with my hair.

Both Amber and Lei were of Asian heritage, but their ancestors had moved to Scotland long before all of this, long before The Infection. Amber sighed, closing the door and throwing her long black hair into a bun.

"It's been one hell of a day, Gracie". She said, walking past me into the kitchen. I smiled at Lei and put her down, letting her run back off into the living room. I imagine her favourite movie was on in there, 'Wizzer da Boz'. I could hear Toto barking faintly.

I sat down on her breakfast bar while she poured the wine, and pulled out a box of chocolates. Our routine meal. She sat down with a huff and frowned at me,

"All right" she said picking up her glass, "What's happened?"

I drank from mine and shrugged,

"It's nothing Am" I said and she smiled at me,

"Now, Gracie, you expect me to believe that? You tell me of this amazing place in a time unheard of where you capture aliens, reunite civilisations and protect the world, and how you travel through time and live with a man who can't die and you expect me to believe that it's nothing? Come on, talk to me" she demanded and I smiled,

"Don't forget you asked for this" I reminded her before I began telling her of everything that had happened. The voice, the watch and the little girl. How I said I'd go see her and then I showed her the fog watch.

Amber looked at it for a while before she said,

"And she said dinnae open it?"

"She said it wasn't time for it to be opened" I replied and Amber frowned, then, before I could stop her, she pressed the button on its top. I gasped, but it was a false gasp. Nothing happened. It didn't open.

"It's stuck!" she said and I scoffed,

"Told you so" I said and she rolled her eyes.

"So are you actually going to go?" she asked, putting the watch down between us. I shrugged and took another swig from my glass,

"Yeah, I am". Her brow stayed creased,

"Do you think it's safe?" I was silent for a while. True, I wasn't entirely sure.

"Well, I'll find out". I replied and she looked at me strangely. She was worried,

"Jack'll have something to say about this" she said as she pushed a truffle into her mouth. I diverted my gaze and muttered,

"I plan on not telling him…" she scoffed,

"You're kidding right? You cannae even breathe without him! He wouldnae let you go!" she exclaimed, pulling my gaze back,

"That's why I can't tell him!" I defended, "I need to go, Am, wouldn't you in my place?" She froze, thinking about it with a frown plasterd on her forehead. She sighed and caved,

"Yes, I would. Should I come with you? You cannae go alone". She asked and I chuckled humourlessly,

"No! I couldn't ask that of you! You have Lei, who'd look after her if you came with me?" and she sighed again. She's so easy to defeat, although, I must admit. I was panicking for a minute.

"Fair enough, but you better take one of those blokes of your with you! I cannae let you go all alone, it could be dangerous!" she finished her orders and I smiled falsely,

"Of course I will" I lied almost effortlessly. I hated lying to Am, but some things she wouldn't understand. I took a long drink from my glass. She changed the topic, to my relief,

"Anyway, guess what?" and I shrugged,

"No clue…" she giggled,

"I am having dinner with Ryan tomorrow" she said, taking a sip from her glass and I beamed,

"He finally asked you out!" I exclaimed and she giggled again, like a teenager on her crush,

"Finally! But, I dunnae have a babysitter…Would you mind?" and I grinned,

"Of course not! I'll take her, what time?" and she smiled brightly, pulling me into a brief hug,

"Eight-ish". She replied and finished her glass of wine. I couldn't help grinning. Ryan and Amber had been flirting repeatedly for a while now, and it was finally getting interesting. She went to grab the bottle when she suddenly remembered something and grinned at me,

"Come see! I bought a dress!" she exclaimed and dashed out the room. I waited patiently as she brought out her dress. I subconsciously began fingering the fog watch. Looking down at it, I frowned.

Pulling the sleeve of my jumper down, I cleaned its front. It revealed the same odd pattern of swirls and circled on one side, and a plain side on the other. I rubbed my finger over the pattern slightly. Amber burst back in and I turned, pocketing it back in my jacket. I didn't want to bring that subject back up.

She brought out the most beautiful black, strapless dress, it flowed like a river over her arms, made of shimmering silk. I gasped and said,

"Oh it's stunning!" and she giggled,

"I know!" I clasped my hands together,

"Oh but you don't need it Am! You're gorgeous!" and she scoffed,

"Yeah, right!" she said and she hung the dress up over the door before turning back to me, "It's alright for you! You've got that delightful American!" and I sighed,

"I told you! We're not an item!" and she grinned,

"Sure, sure!" she threw her hands in the air and I smiled,

"He's got himself a welsh tea-boy back home anyway!" and she grinned before pointing her finger at me,

"You know, have you noticed the size of his feet?" and I raised my eyebrows,

"His feet?" and she grinned,

"You know what they say, men with big feet have big-" I closed my eyes and put my hand to my head,

"Ugh! I don't need that going through my head when I next see him!" and we both fell about in a fit of giggles. We were interrupted by a rushed banging on fists on the front door,

"All right! All right!" Exclaimed Amber as she rushed to the door, I was at her heels. When she opened it I came face to face with a serious-faced Sergeant Anderson,

"Ma'am!" he saluted and I frowned,

"Sergeant"

"General Harkness calls for you urgently ma'am, he says it's a matter of extreme importance!" I groaned and looks towards Amber sympathetically, but she waved her hand in a dismissive way,

"Go! Go! It's important! I'll see you tomorrow! And don't forget what we talked about!" she said as I jumped out the door,

"See you!" was all I could reply. She waved before closing the door. I turned to Sergeant Anderson, with Private Smith behind him and he nodded towards the car behind him. The hum of the car, waiting for me was unnerving. I smiled falsely,

"I just need to nip home, I won't be long. Go without me, I can drive myself" and he frowned,

"Ma'am-" he began but I waved my hand,

"Two minutes!" I shouted and jogged across the road towards the house myself and Jack were staying in. They stopped looking at me for a while, Sergeant, Private and the driver. I could feel their eyes on my back, like lasers. But then I heard the car drive off quickly.

I froze and sighed. God knows what Jack wanted me for this time, so I'd go this while I wasn't forced to stay at the base for days on end, helping him with his many strange tasks. I took a deep breath and ran the way I'd ran from not long ago, back towards the abandoned building.

……………………..

She smiled at me in a shy way when I walked in. The room consisted of nothing, a table and two chairs. There were people guarding her, big fierce guys in suits that wouldn't let me past until she said I could come.

I sat in one of the chairs and she sat in the other. Pulling her cards from under her cloak she still had clasped around her neck, she smiled at me.

"Who are you?" I asked and she blinked at me. She replied,

"Who are _you_?" and I frowned. She smiled, "You're lost, Akeso You're trapped without escape". I looked at her in amaze,

"Why do you call me? She's a Greek goddess isn't she?" the girl smiled at me,

"Of curing, she is. You will have many names". That silenced me. Could this girl be for real?

She put down five cards and looked up at me. She was expecting something and a question suddenly popped into my head,

"Why five?" she smiled,

"These five cards will show me the direction of your life, till it comes to an end". I nodded my head, suddenly shivering from a chill hat travelled down my spine. Without asking, she flipped over the first card.

It was a knight.

"He will come" she said in a voice like she was in a trance. I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked,

"That's been said before. Who is he? And what's this?" I said pulling out the watch. She looked at it and replied,

"You must not open it. When he comes, it will open. Until then, it must stay closed". I scoffed,

"But what is it?" I demanded and she blinked at me,

"It's his soul" she said and I felt the hand I held it in shake.

She flipped the next four over and gasped, but before I could see them, brushed her hand over them so they were in a pile. She kept her hand firmly on top and her eyes suddenly filled with tears,

"He brings only pain, and destruction. He…" she lifted her hand to reveal the card of the grim reaper, "Is Death" she finished and I began shaking more. She suddenly grabbed my hand,

"The box! The blue box!" she gasped and I tried backing away. She was gripping so hard it hurt,

"Get off!" I whispered and my chair fell to the ground,

"It will burn! The blue box will burn, you must not go inside!" she shrieked. I pulled my hand out of hers and she suddenly began screaming,

"The box will burn! The blue box! He brings only death!" she echoed through the building.

The men at the door didn't move, they weren't scared or unsettled. They merely stood there, looking at me with eyes of pity. I looked around me for answers. For an escape.

And for the second time that day, I ran from the girl. I ran and I ran and I didn't look back. The watch never left my hand.

**A/N: Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnn! Yup, it's the girl from 'Torchwood' that's dealt her cards for Jack, of course she would live. **

**Sorry I didn't update sooner, I was making a video for my youtube account. Yes, I'm advertising it, I bear no shame! :D I'm Dibdab25 and I do Merthur vids! :D:D (Merlin/Arthur for the slow ones XD)**

**Review please! x**


	23. The Hub

Jack POV

The plans of the city had changed. Again. This time, instead of a blank space where the collapsed side of Cardiff was, there were a few squares where rebuilding had begun. I was looking over them, while they showed me exactly where they had found the Hub, when Gracie crashed through the door, her hair windswept, her eyes dilated with fear, and her breath coming in rasps.

"Grace?" I asked, panicked. She waved a hand at me in a dismissive way and lent on her knees. She spoke between breaths,

"Sorry. I had. To. Go back. Home. Picked up. My purse" she indicated to the bag swinging from her right shoulder, "Car stopped working. Had to run. But. I'm here now." She straightened out, her breath coming easy but she was still pale with fear, "What's the important thing?" she finished.

I looked at her, my face stern. I knew she was lying, and something had happened. I chose to talk to her later about it; she was hiding it for a reason. I grinned and said,

"We found the Hub". I watched her freeze in shock before her lips spread into a huge smile and she leapt at me, pulling me into a hug. She laughed loudly and when she pulled back, some colour had come back into her cheeks.

"No way!" she exclaimed and I grinned,

"Yeah way! Look" and she turned, still having her arms around me, to look at the map behind us. She grinned brighter and let go of me. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she studied the map. I watched her reaction as the evidence became clearer and she got excited.

"When can we go see?" she asked and I looked up towards Sergeant Webster who nodded and I replied,

"Tomorrow, at dawn"

………….

It truly was a building site. The cranes were casting shadows across the ground that was a sheet of rubble. The symphony of drills and men shouting to each other was making Grace cringe, as I saw out the corner of my eye. Two of her privates were at our tails, and one of her sergeants in front. She didn't seem fussed over the protection.

Altogether, she had two sergeants, Sergeant Anderson and Sergeant Dane. She then had four privates, Private Smith, Jameson, Thomas and Nick, also known as the cheeky one. Always making comments on her arse. She also had seven soldiers. She demanded Newman on her team of course, and he willingly came. Although, he seemed to come just so I'd flirt with him some more. And, really, I don't blame him. The other six were Henrick, Dorran, Zimmerman, Dax, Mason and Daniels. They were important to her, so they were important to me.

Walking through the dust that clouded the air, something that had been nibbling at my mind finally came back to the surface. I had to talk to her about it.

"Hey Jack! Look where we are!" said Grace bringing me out of my daydreams. I looked around me and instantly knew where we were. We were standing in the middle of what once was Roald Dahl Plass.

Some of the pillars were just stumps, having been knocked over or crumbled in the earthquake. Chucks of them lay varied over the ground. The great fountain that stood as a centre to the great welsh landmark was still towering, but it had cracks as thick as my leg through it, and there wasn't a drop of water to be heard or seen. It was a pain for me to see such a majestic place become a wasteland, but I had seen things is my time that would make this look like a wonderful thing.

I had seen whole worlds burn, and wither, children screaming as death took them, and then to be the only one to crawl from the ash because of my curse.

I began tapping into my wristband, brushing away the horrific memories, and looked at the virtual map. It squared to where I was standing and grinned, grabbing Gracie by the arm. I ran and she followed, laughing excitedly. I stopped when I came to a plain of rubble of what had once been The Armadillo. I looked sadly at where the great bronze building had once stood, and where I had often looked down of Cardiff on its roof. No more though.

The privates and a few soldiers were at our heels, looking at us in alarm,

"Catch ya' later!" I said with a salute and a grin as I pulled Gracie, but she added,

"We're going in! Don't cover us, we'll be just peachy!" her voice was excited and urgent. Jumping on, we both disappeared to their confused eyes. They looked around in shock before one of the privates cursed and strutted off in the other direction. She chuckled in my ear, and holding tight to her, I let the lift take us down. It still responded to my wristband, to our luck, but what we saw made me wish it didn't.

……………….

"Oh Jack!" Gracie gasped, steeping carefully over the collapsed roof. I splashed in a puddle of water and that brought my attention to the fact that the fountain was in two pieces down here. Wires, crumbled machinery and pieces of concrete littered the floors. It was pitch-black but we had our torches. The hub had been destroyed.

"Damn it!" I cursed, kicking a dead computer screen across the room. Gracie looked at me with eyes of fear, and sorrow,

"It's going to take forever to get this place back up and working!" she shrieked. I made my way through the rubble to a dimly lit pillar of machinery. The rift core was in bits, wires hanging out like its guts spilling out. But it wasn't dead, not yet. Our computer was in fact alive, and had been since I'd begun here. Tosh used to talk to it, she said she thought I'd think her mad, but I understood. She could understand it more then I could, she just got it.

"Maybe not" I said, stroking the tortured machine, "Grace, you have to forget them" I said, looking round at her and she frowned at me,

"Who?" she asked. This was what had been clouding my mind,

"Amber, Lei, your men. We're going back, and when we do, we'll change the future. They'll die, Grace, they may never exist. You must forget about them. I only let you get attached in the first place because you were so alone, but you must detach now while you still can. Imagine your moving away if you must, but just do it Grace" I said and she turned stern, not replying. An anger was filling in her, "And that's and order" I finished.

I hated doing this to Grace, but it was for her own good.

I made my way past the rift manipulator down to the set of stairs that didn't look completely safe. Covered with ages of dust and rust. I shrugged and slowly walked down them.

"Jack! Don't!" Gracie ordered, and when I got to the bottom I looked up,

"Someone will have to Grace. They died because I put them down here". I replied and she looked at me with strange eyes. I wasn't sure if it was pity or anger or something different. Grace was one of the only people I had a hard time reading.

The corridor to the cells was dark, and silent. It was a silence that never left this world. There was no one to fill it. The door was heavier then I remembered, and it was so dark down here I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. Pushing it open with all my strength, I was greeted by the foul stench of death.

Hand to my face, squinting through the dust filled darkness; my torchlight illuminated the corpses of them all. The captives of the cells were all dead. And it's my fault. I listened to that silence.

The silence I'd helped creating.

In all my lifetimes, all those times I'd save the earth; my urge to be a hero and save one had cost the lives of billions. I wasn't here to stop it. It wasn't Grace's fault, she was human, the first time I saw a crack, I had to be stopped from doing the same thing. If I'd stayed, could I have stopped this?

Then I heard it, of course it'd been there the whole time, but it came to my attention. Vibrating so subtle, none the humans from this time would hear it, but I could. Like humming, or distant drilling. It was the sound of gunshots from above.

I leapt up the stairs to see a surprised Grace looking at me,

"Jack?" she asked and I grabbed her by the shoulders and asked,

"Do you hear it?" she looked at me, a hidden fear from my grip in her eyes, "do you hear it?"

"Hear what?" she gasped and I gripped her wrist, pulling her back to the lift.

"Something's going on" I replied and sent us up.

We entered into a battlefield.

Men were lying on the floor, in pools of their own blood, slowly dying. Some in the uniform of my military, others in an unfamiliar navy blue uniform. Builders were hiding in fear and others were using pieces of rock to protect themselves as they shot.

My mind went back to the war. I was in a trench that stunk of men, with muddy water up to my knees. The bombs were going off around us. Boys were cowering and hiding, gun shots filled the air. And death was hanging like a dark cloud.

Grace reacted instinctively and pulled out both her handguns, shooting the men in blue. I pulled out my Stanley to cover her, but she stepped off the lift. They could see her,

"Gracie!" I tried to get her attention but caught that of the soldier instead.

Again I am forced to remember that day in the war. A bullet flies past my ear as I clutch my radio closer. 'We're being attacked!' I'm screaming but I don't see that the wire is disconnected. It begins to rain. I know my men won't make it out of this alive, so I wipe my forehead and take off my helmet. Looking down at my hand I feel the fear inside me churn. It's raining blood.

Both I and Gracie protected ourselves, shooting in defence, but she got carried away. She didn't stop firing, in almost an angry way. I grabbed her and pulled her to safety by some of the soldiers. One of the privates shouted at us,

"We tried to call you, but you were out of reach!" Grace began shooting over the barriers,

"What happened?" I shouted and he replied,

"They declared war on us!" fear clutched me,

"Who?"

"We don't know!" he replied, "We're guessing a rebellion group to the government! They call themselves 'The Forgotten'! We were told over the radio and that's when the attack began! They dropped through the force-field!" He informed me.

I froze, my stomach in knots. 'The Forgotten'. It couldn't have been.

Gracie was watching us, her face one of pure horror. She turned and jumped over the barrier, viciously attacking the enemy in the open. It was like watching her practise, she is confident and merciless, and her aim never goes out of line. Grace went blood crazy.

That was when the crane fell on us.

I felt one of the soldiers pulled me out of the way with his inhuman strength, taking me to the safety of another barrier. We were out of the field, the crane stretching from where the other barriers were to a wall of stone behind us. The crane was a thick as a car and as tall as a bus, meant for picking us buildings. When the dust cleared, I noticed that we were all here. All except Grace. She was still out in the field, and so, still on the other side of the crane.

And we couldn't get across.

**A/N: I know! A**** cliffie! XD**

**Yay! Fanfiction is back! Me and Sarah demand a personal apology to every member from Fanfiction! :D**

**So, yeah, not good at fight scenes...thanks to those who've reviewed so far by the way! I really appreciate it! :D**

**Okie dokie, review please! Next chapter will be featuring the one and only! :D guess who**


	24. Invasion Of The Mind

**Grace POV**

His eyes are glazed over with a film that allows him access beyond into a world the living cannot see. His face is pale, and cold to touch, rubies are scattered across his cheek. On a bed of red, he lies, motionless, as the world around him erupts into destruction. Newman was as loyal in life as he was in death, he never strayed far from the fight, and even now, he protects me.

Leaving behind my dead friend, and both my handguns in the debris of the fallen crane, as well as Jack who is trapped with the remaining members of my squad, I run. I run till my legs scream in pain, and my sides are being cut into with stitches, till my heart is almost failing and my head is spinning. I find refuge in a warehouse, used for holding equipment for the builders.

It is empty of course, my luck, no where to hide. I am at the mercy of an oncoming force, 'The Forgotten'. They have weapons with which they wish to rip my soul from my body with, like they've done to my men. Monsters. Murderers. And fools. Spilling innocent blood.

There's a door – a huge, bomb-proof door – at the other end of this immense warehouse. I reach it, hauling it open with all the strength I can muster, and slam it behind me as the oncoming men enter into my tomb. I lock the bolts on its back, knowing it wouldn't stop them but it would slow them down.

Maybe if I have long enough, I can run far enough, I can contact Jack. Anything to survive.

I lean against the cold metal, my forehead on fire. I hear the vibrations as they attack the metal door, shooting it, hitting it. God knows. There's probably another door behind me, maybe even two, but I can't move.

I'm standing here, their faces going through my mind, over and over. Dead, cold and slaughtered. And blood. Everywhere, there is blood. My men trusted me; they trusted me to protect them, to lead them and to never abandon them. And now, they're dead. I feel a tear fall down my cheek. Lying against this door, I am weeping for them. I never wanted any of this; I just wanted to go home.

"Is everything alright?" asks a male voice from behind me. I gasp, turning around in shock, to see a man, in his thirties, wearing a brown pin-stripe suit, with red converses and a long, brown coat looking at me with a worried frown. His hair was spiked up and mouse brown, and his eyes were so old. So wise. So broken.

I wipe my tear, straightening out and subconsciously scan the room from other doors as I ask,

"Who are you?" like I thought, one door at the other end. It's closed, and thick like the one I'm still leaning against. Perhaps this was once a freezing unit…

He grins at me, a best-day-of-his-life grin, so bright and charming and replies,

"John Smith" holding out a hand to shake, "and you are?" he finishes. I don't take his hand, nor do I smile in return but reply, checking my surrounds with my full view and walking closer to him,

"I, Mr. Smith, am no one. This is a restricted area for military personnel only, and I have no idea how you got in here, but I think it's time we both leave". He frowns at me again, dropping his hand,

"No one? Everyone is someone. Come on! I've heard all sorts of name you know, you can't shock me" he says, putting his hands in his pockets and resting on the balls of his feet with a crooked grin. I can't help but smile a little, his mood rubbing off on me,

"I'm no one. Forget me face, forget my voice, and forget you ever saw me Mr. Smith. Now, shall we?" I say, making to take a hold of his arm but he turns towards the door, ignoring me,

"What's this then?" he asked, putting an ear to the door, "Sounds like someone trying to get in". My eyes open wider in alarm, and I swallow a lump,

"I am lieutenant-general Miller of the Cardiff base, Mr. Smith, and I am ordering you to step away from that door under restriction of Lord Edgar and Tor-" but he cuts me off, looking at me, his eyes burying some sort of shock,

"Grace Miller?" he asks. I freeze, shocked at hearing my own name. I shake my head in denial,

"I-" but then I stop as he pulls two of the bolts back at once, seeming to have half his mind in the conversation and half of it on opening the door. Some inner curiosity of pure nosy-ness had him obsessed over that noise.

I leapt forward, my instinctive reaction to grab him and pull him away from the door. I didn't realise the vibrations had stopped. Nor did I realise that they should have come through the back door already.

He looked up, almost in slow motion, his hand coming away form the bolt handle, his eyes surprised, and my hand came down. The connection was made as my hand brushed his before I looked up into his suddenly alarmed eyes. I felt burning, on my chest, and I looked down, still touching his hand, to see the fog watch I had hanging round my neck was burning brighter and brighter white.

Ripping my hand away from his, it began.

Millions of things entered my mind, all intruding into my own thoughts. Memories. They screamed different stories at me.

Of a man, a time lord, who travels through time and space in his box of blue. How he changes history, defeating creatures and saving worlds. How he restarts species and makes so many friends. How his home was lost in a great war between a race of flesh and a race of metal, and only he walked from the ashes. Of beautiful worlds, and amazing people.

Jack was in there, as was Gwen and Ianto, and Martha, she was there a lot. Many others too. I saw myself through his eyes, I watched as I touched his hand just moments ago, as if I could feel it, as if I were him.

His soul was carved into my mind. Everything the Doctor was. Everything he is, everything he'd been and all he could be. All the things he'd done, and seen. All the things he'd felt. Him. Hero and Villain combined.

Of pain. Of destruction. Of love. Of wonder. Of death. Of life.

I gasped, two words echoing from my lips,

"Help me".

I fell sideways, my legs turning to jelly, and my eyes rolling back into my head. My hair whooshed behind me as the darkness became my vision. But I never hit the ground. He caught me. All his pain was too much for me and I fainted.

**A/N: cliffie! oh! shame on me! :D**

**This morning, as I was waking up, I made a plan for every chapter in my head, and now, I have a plan! :D**

**Sorry, I didn't update earlier, my bad! Anyway, I just wrote this, so if there's any errors, my apologies! And my writing seems a bit off lately, I don't know what it is! :(**

**Review please! x**


	25. Reunion: For Better Or For Worse?

**Jack POV**

There were eight of them, exactly eight of them. All dressed in navy blue, all wearing the same logo of a ring of flowers, all black flowers, and entwined in it was the word 'Forgotten'.

They had all hunted Grace down, chased her into this warehouse and forced her to lock herself into the room beyond. She'd lost her weapons at some point. They had made her fear for her life, made her alone, made her defenceless. I'd taken care of that.

The battlefield was thick with the dead.

All lying there, lifeless, in pools of their own blood. I shot them in the head, a quick death. Looking at them now though, I realise they were not threats. They were hardly equipped for taking her down, a big gun that would be too slow to get her and a few knives stashed here and there. This was a collection mission.

I wrongly killed them before their time. And I regret doing so.

Standing up from my crouch on the scarlet floor, I pocketed the cloth with the logo on I'd just cut from a young soldier's jacket. Turning around, I walked through the graveyard towards the great bulk-head of a door Grace had used as a portal to safety. I could track her from inside of it is she wasn't there anymore.

I was a few feet away when the locks of the doors were pulled open, sending a reverberating echo through-out the warehouse. I froze, waiting for whoever it was to come through.

There was a silence for a while, something was going on; I could taste it in the air.

And then, the rest of the locks were opened, sounding as if it were done almost one-handed, and the door swung open. I was blinded momentarily as bright light shined through from electrical bulbs in the ceiling of the room.

When I looked back, I saw the silhouette of a man I'd never forget.

The Doctor was stood, almost slouched, his shoulder's tense and his head low, looking down at something. I stood, looking at him in wonder. I thought he'd never come.

"Doctor?" I asked, unsure whether my eyes were deceiving me. It had happened before.

He froze, looking up at me suddenly, as if he were surprised,

"Jack?" he replied in a tone that sounded like he'd just inturpted a conversation. He stepped into the warehouse and I felt my heart skip a beat.

There was a woman in his arms, a woman he went back down to looking at in an almost mourning way. She was motionless, hanging in his arms, her head leant against his shoulder. She looked like she was sleeping, her eyes shut so delicately and her long, ruby-red hair cast across his arm.

"Gracie!" I shouted in horror, dashing to the Doctor's side, and taking her face in my hand. She was still warm. I let out a raspy sigh, checking her pulse.

I thought she was dead.

It was weak, but her heart-beat was there. I looked up at the Doctor and his eyebrows knitted together, in an almost ashamed way, as he looked gravely at Grace.

"Give her to me" I demanded and he stood, barely moving as I pulled her from his arms. She wasn't heavy, stupid girl. She never ate anything.

The Doctor kept his arms up, but followed her with his gaze. I frowned at him and said,

"It's about time you got here. I don't know if you noticed, but we've kind of needed you" and I exhaled quickly and looked at him angered, "Where the hell have you been?" I said, half chuckling as I spoke. It was so good to see him.

He just blinked at me and replied,

"I'm sorry". I felt my anger drop for regret yet again and I shook my head,

"Don't be" I replied, brushing his hand with mine and he just replied in monotone,

"I should be, and I am, Jack". I sighed and looked down at an unconscious Grace in my arms. She shouldn't have had to go through this. And it's was my entire fault. Maybe I should have told her… I didn't for her own safety, but look where that got her.

The Doctor looked around him and suddenly and anger blazed in him, an anger I'd missed.

"You killed them!" he exclaimed and I nodded.

"It was necessary" I replied and he laughed darkly,

"Was it you or them?" he teased darkly and Gracie stirred in my arms, catching both our attentions. Her eye flickered before she scrunched up her face and fell silent again. The Doctor seemed to straighten out then, and seemed to be holding his breath.

"She needs somewhere to lie down" he told me and I frowned at him,

"What happened?" I asked as we walked from the warehouse, leaving it a tomb for the soldiers. The Doctor shook his head,

"I happened" he replied.

**A/N: dun dun dunnnnnn! Will Gracie be okay? Will the Doctor be able to reset a wrong timeline? Will Jack and Grace get back? And who are these mysterious 'Forgotten'? All will be revealed! :D**

**"**Standing up from my crouch on the scarlet floor**" XD feels like English all over again, doesn't it Sarah n Tiff! lmso!**

**Very dark Doctor in this one, I know. Anyways, hope it was alright, and i'll update asap :D**

**Review please x**


	26. Awake

**Grace POV**

As I began to regain consciousness, the first thing I heard was Jack.

"What are you doing?" he asked, almost ordering to know the answer. He was agitated, annoyed, and desperate. I was surprised by how much. There was another man, the man from the warehouse.

Was it John? No. That wasn't his name…

"I'm trying to arranger her memories, well, the things in her mind so she can regain consciousness. I need to concentrate Jack, I-" but he stopped talking then, and I heard him inhale quickly. He was so close to me. I could feel his hands on the sides of my face.

"What is it?" demanded Jack, he too was close. I was lay down.

"She's awake" said the man. She instant the words left his lips, my eyes opened. I looked into hazel brown.

There seemed to be no words to describe the depth of his eyes. To describe how old and how wise they were. He'd seen so much. They were so intelligent.

I remembered. I touched him, and then, I absorbed his soul. I saw everything, all he's lost, and all he'd loved. The life of a lonely god.

Silent tears fell down my face as I looked into his eyes. Pity didn't rock me, nor did sorrow, nor did the overwhelming feeling to tell him how sorry I was for him. It was just a natural reaction, I couldn't help it.

He stood up, letting go of me, and looked away in shame. I frowned and sat up. Jack dropped down beside me and caught my face in his palm,

"Grace? How are you feeling?" he asked, but I didn't even look at him. My gaze was caught on the Doctor, who was looking at me with an emotion I couldn't read.

Our own silent conversation, talking about things I didn't know anything about. We just looked at each for a minute before I turned to Jack and smiled,

"I'm fine Jack. You worry too much. What happened?" and I turned to the Doctor. He was stood with his hand in his pockets. Jack also looked up at him.

Not meeting my eye, he explained,

"There is a myth, well, it's not a myth, more of a fact, that a time lord's memories can be held inside a fog watch. That watch around your neck, that's my watch. I've used it many a time when I had need to become human. When it's reopened, I get my memories back, but, a time lord's mind is so complex. It leaves an imprint, like a stamp. The watch had time to entwine itself into your mind, so that when we made physical contact, you absorbed it. But it was just an echo, merely memories and emotions, and even though it was so insignificant, it was still to complex for your mind and you fainted". He spoke like he was reading from a textbook.

Jack looked down at the fog watch still around my neck. Brushing my fingers across it's front, it felt cold. Hollow.

"Grace?" Jack asked, looking at me confused. I just blinked at him. The Doctor moved, standing in front of me, crouching slightly and asked,

"Where did you find it?" his tone was curious, but there was hidden anxiety behind it. I replied, looking into his limitless eyes,

"There was a voice. A creature. It led me to it in the middle of an alley yesterday. It was just lay there, murky and unwanted. She told me of you, Doctor. She said that I should 'beware' of you".

He seemed to freeze and replied,

"It was in-"

"The Tardis, I know" I finished. He tilted his head at me for a minute, a smile threatening to grace his lips,

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Jack, seeming to be kicking himself. I put my hand over his on my cheek,

"Because you wouldn't let me see her" and they both frowned,

"The girl?" asked Jack, his voice seeming to break, "Did she read your cards?"

I looked at him, surprise in my eyes.

"You know her?" and he looked at me like I'd just confessed to murder,

"What did she say? Gracie, what did she tell you?" he asked, getting louder and louder. The Doctor stood silently listening,

"There's a girl" I explained to him, "The strangest girl. Her eyes and her voice, she's something more. She told me to go to her, and she'd read my card. Tarot cards. So I went".

"Grace…"begged Jack and I frowned,

"She…She told me that the Doctor would come. That's all Jack" I lied. I didn't know why I never told him the full truth.

I'd seen the Doctor's life. All those people, so many people, who had risked their lives, who had given up everything to protect him. To aid him. And in return had died for him. To be touched by an angel can be a blessing and a curse. Some part of me knew that my future, now the Doctor was involved, would be full of death and pain. Would be full of war. Like those that had seen it had warned me of. Deep down, I didn't want to acknowledge that.

I looked up, any chance to divert my gaze from Jack's worried stare. I hated lying to him. He eyes found the Doctor's.

It was the strangest thing. Eyes are the windows into the soul, they don't lie. Yet, never had I seen such eyes like those he possessed. They were so ancient. So alien. Yet more familiar then I imagined possible. He knew I was lying.

"Jack" he said, suddenly dropping his solemn mask and grinning at the captain, "Tiny, little question. What happened?"

Both the men connected. There was a history there. Jack smiled and replied,

"I thought you wouldn't know, so I prepared. I have an information card made for you, it's a gorgeous fourth century one, you'll love it. In here", he replied. The Doctor carried on smiling, his grin becoming brighter at Jack's words. But they sounded off to me. Like they held a double meaning. Was the Doctor going to tell on me?

Jack winked at me, letting go of my cheek and leading into the room behind him, the Doctor following obediently.

I sighed, putting both my hands to my head and closing my eyes.

I stole his soul. I took the watch and now I've intruded into everything he'd worked so hard to make disappear. I'd seen the things he wanted to be a secret. I re-opened an old scar and the Doctor hated me for it. I knew it.

Looking back up, I noticed I was on the sofa in my lounge. Jack must have brought me here. How long was I out for? And since when did I faint in the first place?

I watched the old grand-father clock in the corner as the hands went around.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

I'd been here almost a month. In this world. I'd restarted my life, re-built a civilisation from a broken world. I'd moved on. And now what?

Time, the kindest and cruellest killer. It will let you live a life, let you fall in love, let you get comfortable and feel safe. Let you laugh, cry and dream. But in the end, you go out of this world the same way you came in. Alone. It just leads us into a false sense of security before taking all we love away and leaving us sitting in our own filth in a home where no one cares anymore.

Seven-forty one. Seven-forty two. Seven forty-three. Almost eight. Another day over. The funeral would be tomorrow. The funerals.

I gasped, sitting up suddenly and swinging my legs off the sofa. As I dashed out of the front door, I muttered,

"Lei!"

……………………………………….

Amber opened the door before I got the chance to knock. She was prettier then I'd ever seen her. Her dress fitting perfectly and her hair was up in curls, framing her neatly made face. She looked like she'd just composed herself.

Yet, she was so pale. And her eyes, they looked so full of fear. Like she'd just seen a ghost.

"Am? Are you alright?" I asked, suddenly alarmed. She smiled - but it didn't reach her eyes – and waved her hand in a dismissive way she was so very good at.

"Nothing! I'm a bag of nerves for my date" she replied, standing to the side to let me in. I smiled at her and pushed one of her curls out of her eyes,

"You really like this guy, huh?" and she grinned, but it looked so fake.

"Aye…" she admitted, pulling her shawl back up over her shoulders and looking at me in a strange way. Her eyes were so afraid. Confused, I asked,

"Are you sure you're alright?" and she smiled, that same fake smile.

"Of course I am! I told you, stop worrying about me! But what about you, Grace, I saw Jack and that man bring you back. You looked asleep. It's been all over the news. I'm so sorry for your men, Gracie" she exclaimed, putting a supportive hand on my arm. I half smiled sadly,

"Thank you. I'm fine, you know me. Hard as steel". She had caught me off guard. I still saw there face's, my men. I had lost six loyal soldiers out there. Newman's cold, pale face popped into my head. I couldn't forget that.

I had forgotten about the attack. With 'The Forgotten' in blue, and the guns. Running. Fear.

I shook my head, trying to physically shake away the memories. It was strange, she was so excited and eager last time I saw her, and now, it was like she was stalling. It must have been eight o'clock by now.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" she said, slowing down the syllables. I frowned, and when she flicked her gaze to the left and back, I suddenly felt alarmed.

Something was wrong; I could feel it.

Turning slowly, I let my hands fall to my hip. Upon feeling the hollow gaps where my guns should have been, I remembered they were still in the dust of the battlefield. Mentally cursing, I stepped forward towards the corridor to my left instead.

Lei made me jump and she suddenly came running down the hall, her arms out in the way she always did. As she jumped, I caught her and she buried her face in my hair. I smiled hugging her.

"Gwacie!" she cried. I laughed, feeling so stupid. What was I thinking? If I'd of had my guns, Lei would have been terrified.

"I've got to go" Amber announced, her voice sounded almost like she was crying. I turned to her but the door was already shutting behind her, I heard her shout from outside, "I'll be back late!"

"See you then" I said to myself and frowned, bouncing Lei off my hip as I carried her into the kitchen. She was so light, I felt like nothing when I held her. She kept her face hidden and didn't say anything after that, not that she was usually chatty.

"Hey, Lei-Lei, you okay sweetie?" I asked, talking childishly for her. She didn't answer, just cuddled closer. She must be tired, I came to the conclusion of, and it was an hour past her bedtime.

Opening the fridge, I got out the carton of milk. Putting a pan on the lit hob, I began to boil it for her. She always had warmed milk before she went to bed, it helped her sleep. She had terrible night terrors, poor girl.

She rested her head on my shoulder, closing her eyes and putting her thumb in her mouth. Yeah, she was tired.

"You'd made a good mother" said the voice I would know for the rest of my life. Looking round, I saw the Doctor leant against the door frame that led into the kitchen.

"Thanks" I said with a soft smile, "But no children for me" I replied and he smiled, his eyes on Lei. He'd had daughters before. "You made a good father".

"Yep" he said shortly, looking away. I smiled faintly, looking away too.

"I'm sorry" I said and he looked back up at me, giving me a quizzical look,

"Why do you need to apologise?"

"Because I picked up the watch and because I stole your soul. I didn't mean to intrude. And you hate me for it". He frowned at me,

"I don't hate you" he said in a tone of disbelief, "It wasn't your fault". I smiled secretly,

"I still saw". He seemed to chuckle without humour,

"You have no idea how lonely it can get when no one knows…" he murmured, sounding as if he were thinking aloud. I looked at him in disbelief. The lonely god.

"Doctor-" I began, but Jack walked in behind him, and looked at us both, his face grim. He looked like he'd just aged a thousand years. I narrowed my eyes, taking the bubbling milk away from the flame.

"I have a bone to pick with you!" I murmured as I carried Lei out of the room, pointing an accusing finger at Jack. He looked at me and mouthed 'me?' in such an innocent way it made me roll my eyes. The Doctor just smiled.

…………………………………

"Well?" I said my hands on my hips. I was standing in front of Lei's bedroom door – that was still open just a crack as Lei didn't like the dark – and speaking directly to Jack who had seated himself at the breakfast bar and was looking at the Doctor. He turned around to me,

"Sorry?" he asked, looking at me confused,

"Cough it up, Harkness. What happened out there?" and he seemed to falter, and diverted his gaze.

"We were attacked, Grace, and we got separated. I'm sorry, I tried, but when I got there you were already out-" I cut him off, walking forward and waving my hand in a dismissive way like Amber,

"Yeah, yeah, I got that. Why were we attacked?" I asked, standing opposite Jack. He blinked at me, seeming to be having an inner battle on what the answer me with,

"Because we're in charge of the base, Gracie. Take our the commanders in first order" he explained and I nodded,

"Yeah, it is first orders Jack. Funny, because you didn't seem shocked out there when he said they'd declared war on us. So, this got me thinking. What do you know about 'The Forgotten', Jack? What've you been keeping from me this time?" and he looked at me with eyes of anger. If looks could kill.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice rising,

"Oh, I don't know" I said, sarcastically, "That you were a time agent who travelled with a time lord before getting abandoned in the future and travelling back in time before living your way up into the 21st century. Something along those lines maybe. Damn it, Jack! None of you even told me about him! You all met him, talked to him, and travelled with him but, you know, what the hell, let's keep this the biggest secret in Torchwood and not bother telling Grace!" I said, my voice rising too, me and Jack getting closer and closer together and his face turned red in frustration,

"Torchwood?" said the Doctor, out of the blue. I turned to him and blushed. I forgot he was there.

"Yeah, I'm Jack's second in command, didn't he tell you?"

"No, he told me you fell through the crack with him, I never thought you would work there" replied the Doctor and I frowned, why wouldn't Jack tell him that?

"Anyway!" interrupted Jack, looking furiously at the Doctor. The brown-eyes man just gave him a dark look, "I left that life a long time ago, Kiddo. When the past comes back to bite me, it usually isn't good, so I keep my head down and my mouth shut. After a while, it's just easier" said Jack, him voice going from shouting to an uneasy whisper.

I felt a knot of guilt hit me. I sighed and pressed my fingers into my forehead. I was getting a headache.

"Who are they, Jack?" I asked, no demanding anymore, just asking. He exhaled heavily and paused,

"Do you remember when Lord Edgar said that the virus lived in people for years on end?" He asked and I nodded,

"Yeah, what about it?"

"He was talking about over a decade" said the Doctor. I felt my heart drop,

"A decade? But that's so long" I replied. They both nodded,

"And he lied. They got the cure fifty years ago, not sixty. People were living for almost eleven years before they had the ability to get cured. In the towns like Glasgow, they congregated and rebuilt some sort of life". Said Jack and the Doctor carried on,

"People carried on. They ate, slept, and worked. And reproduced". I stared at him quizzically, until realisation set in,

"But…doesn't that mean the children would be born with the infection?"

"Exactly. And this is a new infection. It's a part of them. To remove would be to remove everything they have grown to be, the body adapted to fit around it. The cure doesn't work on them". I shook my head,

"You're talking in present tense!" I stated and froze, horror stricken as the pieces clicked together, "Are you saying they're still alive?" Jack dropped his gaze, shame hitting him.

What was going on?

"Edgar didn't tell you, even though he's understanding of the way you have lived, he's been brought up in a sexist world. But he told me. When they couldn't cure them, they thought they'd re-infect a world they'd worked so carefully to create" he said.

"They imprisoned them because they were scared. And because they could. The children of The Infection were punished for something they couldn't help. And then Edgar covered it up, never told his new civilisation of people the truth" said the Doctor, spitting each word out like it stung.

I sat there, a tear falling down my cheek. My mouth was agape in disbelief.

"They escaped didn't they? And they are 'The Forgotten'". I asked, the pieces finally clicking on their own. Jack nodded sadly, his eyes on the ground. I shook my head, closing my eyes sadly, "This is what my race resorts to?"

"Innocent people were imprisoned before all of this. People were discriminated against because they were different. Because others didn't understand them. Because people were scared of them. I see no difference, just different circumstances" said Jack. The Doctor flicked his gaze up at him, disagreement in his eyes. I frowned at Jack. How could he say that?

"We're partners Jack! We're friends! I trust you with my life, and I would never keep such a thing from you! How could you not tell me?" I said disgust in my voice. He stared at me,

"I was trying to protect you!"

"How was that protecting me?"

"Would you want to know? Your memories of this place are bad enough, I thought the less scarred you were the better" he finished, standing up and pulling out a stool for me. I fell into it, my eye not leaving him,

"And what now? They've declared war on us" I said, looking at the two men. They exchanged a glance, the Doctor looked pained and Jack was warning,

"We go back" said Jack and I frowned,

"What?" I asked in disbelief. He couldn't be serious.

"We go back, like we said we would. We'll change the future. We'll save everyone. Why fight a war when it won't happen?" I gaped at him,

"I am not going back now! I lost six men out there today! And if I go, I'll loose the rest! Jack…The men found their leader in you. In me. I will not abandon them!" he clenched his teeth together. The Doctor was looking at me, deep in thought about something. As if making his mind up.

"Grace! We will change the future! They might not ever exist! But you will. I'm not letting you go on the front line of a war that should never have happened, you _can_ die here! You are coming back, or God help me, I will drag you back!"

"No! I-" but I was cut off as the door of Lei's room opened and she stepped out into the light. Jack and I shouting had woke her. She rubbed her eyes against the light. I mentally cursed myself again. Sighing, I walked over and picked her back up, her teddy cuddled in her arms.

Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair. As I walked into her room, I turned back and gave Jack a sad look,

"You should have told me" I said before closing the door.

I clicked on Lei's main light and pushed her hair from her face. I set her on her bed and knelt down so I was in front of her.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to wake you" she yawned.

"Don't leave Gwacie" she said sleepily,

"No, I'll be here sweetie. The bad monsters for your dreams won't get you". She blinked at me, exhausted,

"I'm not scawed of monsters, I'm scawed of the man in the cupboawd. He'll huwt me like he huwt mummy" she replied. My stomach churned as my eyes widened in alarm.

Before I could react, I felt a gloved hand wrap around my mouth while another around my chest. My heart raced, my mind blurred and my breath slowed. I kicked and fought, my screams muffled. I watched as a man - dressed from head to toe in black, a black army jacket around his front, and glasses over his eyes – came out of the wardrobe behind Lei and injected her in the neck with a clear liquid before she could scream. She fell back, her eyes rolling into her head, and was picked up by the same man.

A gun cocked and I felt the barrel on the back on my skull,

"Don't make me hurt you, Miss Miller" said the voice of a man. I whimpered and the metal pushed further into my head.

Feeling a prick of pain as I was injected with the same clear liquid, I felt the darkness taking me. The last thing I remember seeing is a ring of black flowers, with words sewed among them.

**A/N: Oh, another cliffie! :D Maybe I should see how many I can do in a row...**

**Thanks to those who've reviewed, it's appreciated :D Sorry it's so long! :S You have no idea how long it took to write!**

**Review please x**


	27. Hearing But Never Seeing

**Jack POV**

"Jack! Just, let me get back to the Tardis. I can find her in seconds!" offered the Doctor. He was stood behind me, staring at me with disbelieving eyes. I ignored him. Pressing buttons, flipping switches and turning dials, I worked my way around the electronic board. I'd get this stupid thing to work if it killed me. And coming from an immortal man that gave me the odds on winning.

I wasn't impressed with the Doctor. Not impressed at all. You could go as far as to say I was disgusted. I had taken him aside before, showing him the information card. He loved it of course, just as I presumed. The Doctor loved old things. Well, old for me, being from such a distance future. I'm not entirely sure if it was old for the Doctor or not, he never spoke about home. Of course, Gracie would know.

He'd told me how she's absorbed his memories, and that's why she fainted. I didn't blame him. Not one bit. But I was still mad. And then he started asking me all these questions about her. At first, I thought he was just finding something to keep me occupied as he stared at the history of Earth as it shouldn't be, but then it got very possessive. He was more then curious.

That was when he told me.

He had been on a distant planet, somewhere unheard of to me of course. And he'd come across a prophet. She'd helped him defeat some monster, or save the world and something like that – God knows when it's the Doctor – and in return, he had offered to take her with him as a thank-you. Apparently, she merely tilted her head at him and replied,

"You will have a companion soon enough, Timelord. With all the compassion and honesty your hearts need. With hair of blood and eyes of emeralds, she will cure you, Doctor. Watch out for Miller of Grace. She will equally hurt you as you will hurt her".

After that, she glided back into the crowd of her planet and the Doctor never heard from her again. But at his words, fear grew in me. I'd seen the wreckage he left people in. Rose had been trapped in another universe. Martha was forced to turn away, her heart unable to cope, and in turn, she became a soldier. And Donna. Donna Noble. Left without a memory of the wonder the universe held. Sarah-Jane. Left as the Doctor's back –up, completing his duty while he wandered off with others so much younger. Never letting herself get involved with any other man.

Those were the companions that survived.

If I had a choice, I wouldn't let Grace go. She was under my command. She was my partner. My friend. I wouldn't let her do that to herself. Knowing pain was her only ending.

"I don't know what I'm doing!" I bellowed, kicking the damn computer and turning around with my hands on the back of my head. I breathed in and out, scowling at the Doctor. He was looking at me with eyes full of almost pity.

"What do you want it to do?" he asked, taking my place and beginning to work on the machine. His eyes flicked all over the place, never leaving the piece of in-workable technology. He moved quicker then I thought possible. I sighed, regret and guilt hitting me. Moving to his side, I replied,

"Everyone in the country who is born is given a chip, a Logging Chip, it's called. 'The Forgotten' don't, but they've found a way to mask themselves from our detection units. Grace and myself on the other hand, can be picked up. This is one of the units, it will identify any people without chips but the damn thing won't work!" I mumbled. The Doctor replied in a distracted voice,

"Would be a good idea to turn it on". I rolled my eyes,

"Just find her" I ordered and he raised his eyebrows,

"Yes, Sir" he mumbled. The soldiers around the room watched us in silence. Gracie's soldiers. I was their commander in the time of her absence. I watched the Doctor, a single thought going through my mind,

What was he thinking?

All the time I'd been reunited with him, his eyes were misted over in thought. Something was trailing through him, something he couldn't decipher. And that was something so very new.

"Where were you?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. I heard pain in my voice. The Doctor looked up at me, an apology in his eyes.

"It's a long story" he replied, casting his eyes back down. I chuckled without humour,

"When isn't it?" I asked and he smiled slightly. But, exhaling, I added, "I think I deserve to know", stubbing my feet into the ground uncomfortably. He looked back up at me, his eyes confused,

"The UNIT base, the one in New York, that's where Martha was at, right?" he asked, turning back to the computer. I frowned,

"And Grace" I replied. He froze, alarm crossing his features, but only for a second, then it was gone,

"Yes. That would make sense. When Martha joined your team, Gracie did too, I take it" he replied,

"Yeah, how did you Martha joined?" I asked, my eyebrows knitted together

"I heard you as you walked away last time we were all together" he replied shortly, not really paying attention,

"Right…" I replied, amazement in my voice. Timelords and their hearing, huh? He didn't really speak much, but I saw him frowning at something he was thinking. Some distant memory. A rare thought.

"There was an attack at the base. Some dying creatures last panicked attempt at re-building their civilisation. I stopped them, of course. I had no choice. But, there was no one to stop me. I was captured by them. And I have been imprisoned with them for a long time. I escaped, eventually. As soon as I reached the Tardis, she brought me here. And voila. Here I am" he replied, his voice monotone. I mentally cursed myself,

"Doctor…"I said, sorrow in my voice. He never said…and I was so frustrated with him…Damn it! He smacked his lips, reaching over to type in some numbers,

"Yup" he replied shortly, not replying to my command, not replying to anything really. Just agreeing with whatever he thought I was thinking. Watching him, my mind fluttered back to Grace. How she disappeared. How I never thought to protect her. How I should have done something…

"Got her!" cried the Doctor suddenly, pointing to a black glowing light on the screen. It was part of the collapsed side of Cardiff. I frowned, it was so far away.

"Just boost the signal of this thing, see whether if it helps to…Ah ha!" he said, the alien humming of his sonic screwdriver accompanying his words as he beamed it onto the control panel. Two green dots and one black dot appeared beside Grace's.

"Them two there are logged" said the Doctor, pointing to the green, "While this one isn't" he said, touching the second black dot, so close to Grace. I growled.

There was the sound of a high-pitched beep in my ear and, I froze, relief hitting me. I Reaching up, accepting the transmission in my ear piece. I remembered I tried to contact Gracie through it when I first found she was gone, but she didn't reply,

"Jack?" she called, her voice lined with fear,

"Grace? Its okay, I got you. We can see you on the scanner, we're coming Grace, hold on" I replied, desperate to be able to pull her through the piece of technology wrapped around my ear, anything to get her out. She stuttered as she replied,

"Amber and Lei are here, Jack. They got to them before us. Oh Jack! We go them involved. They're so scared. There's a soldier too. Oh no…Jack, don't come here. Jack! Jack! It's a trap!" she shrieked, her voice getting quieter. I froze in horror. After a few minutes if white noise, the transmission came back. It wasn't around her ear though.

"No communication!" shouted the voice of a man. He was hardly a man by the sounds of it.

"Don't touch me!" I heard Grace cry, and there was muffled fighting between the two of them. Silent echoed after the sound of material ripping. I could hear Amber hushing a crying Lei, her voice so full of fear.

"But, you're just a kid!" cried Grace, her voice full of disbelief, "You're not even eighteen!"

"You see, that's the thing about us. We can't survive in your unfit conditions you leave us to rot in. We're more generations down the line then you know" cried the boy, and my heart stopped as I heard a gun cock. Gracie gasped; I could almost hear her heartbeat racing as she stepped back. Amber cried out in horror, Lei was shaking against her. Or she was shaking. Either way, it was in her voice.

"Put it down" said Grace in a calm voice. The man was panicking,

"Get back over there! And don't touch them! It's you fault their here! I never wanted to kidnap anyone! I just wanted to help…" he muttered. The Doctor was watching me, his face, to my surprise, was scared. The Doctor was never scared.

"Put down the gun. Put down the gun" I whispered into the earpiece, my voice unable to get any louder.

"No!" shrieked Amber; she was crying. Lei, too, was louder now, almost screaming.

"I'll shoot her if you don't get back!" cried the boy, but his voice held no threat,

"My baby! Give me my baby!" shrieked Amber. She fell to the ground, shuffling along the ground. She must have been begging,

"Amber" Grace said gently, "Hush now, Amber. Lei isn't going to get hurt" she continued. I shook my head in disbelief, what was she doing? "I know you. You're only a child. You've never killed anyone before. You don't want to"

"I'm not a child! And I'm not afraid to do it, so get back!" replied the boy sternly. Gracie was walking forwards, her feet clicking on the ground. Her hands must have been held in the air because she sounded off balance,

"Fine then! Go ahead!" she bellowed, "Look in that little girl's eyes and kill her! Let's see you be a man!" the metal of the gun was echoing through the room as the boy shook with fear and nerves. Silence pierced my ears, apart from Amber's sobs.

"See" announced Gracie, her voice calm again, "I know you don't want to hurt her-"

"I will do it!" he cried, this time his threat was there,

"Just stop!" Gracie begged, still not losing the control her voice held, "Just stop! For one minute! Just stop and think! I'm lieutenant-general Miller. I'm second in command. I'm more important then her. And I won't fight. Put the girl down, and take me".

My eyes widened in fear.

"No Grace!" I whispered, "Don't be a hero!"

The boy was silent, still shaking. And still Grace moved forward. There was a muffled sound, and I heard the gun shake and move. Lei cried aloud, running towards her mother and falling into Amber's arms. Amber was silent, watching in horror.

"What were you thinking?! I could have shot her when you moved the gun!" bellowed the boy.

"Grace…" Amber whispered, fear for her friend there in her voice,

"It's alright" replied Grace, "Now, you'll have to blow a hole through my centre if you want to get to them". I froze. The gun was pointing at her. Metal scrapped against metal and I made the connection in my head. Grace's ring against the barrel of the gun. She was holding the gun to her own front.

"I'm not afraid to shoot!" cried the man. I was still frozen as the Doctor grabbed my arm and pulled it up, under his own arm. I was still frozen as he pulled my jacket back, revealing my wristband. I was still frozen and the sonic screwdriver whirred against it. I was still frozen as something clicked in the wristband.

"Got it!" cried the Doctor.

I wasn't frozen however, when the Doctor slammed his hand onto my wristband and we teleported.

Landing roughly, we were both on the ground as we landed. I groaned, putting my hand to my head as a hammer banged against it.

"I forgot how much fun that was" muttered the Doctor, also groaning. Before he could say anymore, I bolted up, taking in my surroundings. We were in a corridor, the walls made of smooth steel. Darkness shadowed the whole room, yet it didn't stop me from seeing the door at the nearest end.

"Through there" said the Doctor getting to his feet,

"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to get stuck in the middle of a fight or having to start running – since it was the Doctor – when Grace needed me,

"No!" I heard Amber scream down my ear, grabbing my attention. I heard it through the door at the same time. The Doctor turned to me, and I mirrored his look of horror.

A gunshot echoed throughout the room and my head.

"Grace!" cried Amber; tears were falling down her face. I heard Grace fall against the floor and the gun fall shortly after.

**A/N: :( I'm not proud of this chapter! My writing was so horrific, I completely mauled it! But, I did it none the less. Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while, I started another story when really I shouldn't have and I've been wrapped up in that.**

**Another cliffie then! :D And it's a big one! **

**So, what do you reckon? Will Gracie live? Hmmm....maybe, maybe not. We'll see.**

**Review please x**


	28. Blood

**Grace POV**

Blood. Liquid life. Scarlet rivers that run from our hearts. It is our human essence. It allows us to exist, yet, we take it so for granted. We let it drip away when we injure ourselves, never realising how much we will need it one day. We give it so freely to others so they too can survive. It's the disease and the cure.

And at this moment, as I feel my feet leaving the ground and I hear as the ground behind me gets closer and closer, I see only liquid-life. Seeping from my core. I don't feel any pain as I hit the solid floor, my head bouncing back up before settling lazily. I see a whirlwind of events pass around me, but they don't make sense. First, I have to remember how I got here.

That stranger – that boy – he was holding a gun at little Lei. Poor, innocent little Lei. And Amber was crying. Begging. But Lei found her mother's arms again, because the gun moved. I moved it. Grabbing it by the barrel, I pulled it towards me and held it against my stomach. Yes. And then the trigger went off.

It wasn't the boy's fault. No. I remember he was letting go of the gun. He was because the gun fell. After it went off, the gun fell. His finger slipped. That's all.

Amber's sobbing. Lei's hiding. And the boy is staring at me, his eyes wide and his mouth open. He's stumbling backwards. Poor kid.

Then there's a noise. It's so loud, yet it sounds so distant. Door swinging open, gun already out, Jack comes in. Oh, Jack. Poor, poor Jack. Trapped in life. Trying to be the hero when the story's finished. Bless him.

As his gaze falls to me, I watch him freeze in shock. Control is his greatest ally, but, he never has control over himself. Sad really. Oh, he's here now. He's kneeling over me. Gun already dropped to the floor, tears threatening to leak down his face, and two shaky hands on either side of my wound he whispers,

"Oh, God…"

I must be pretty messed up. Agony then decides to pay a visit. Someone is ripping my insides apart, shredding them to ribbons and then very kindly dripping lemon juice into my wound.

The Doctor stumbles in next, his gaze drops to me, but he doesn't freeze like Jack. Instead he dashes forward, grabs Jack by the shoulder and a look passes between them. It says, 'I'm the Doctor. Let me help.'

Jack let a tear fall, but nods and gets to his feet. My men in shining armour. Instead, he makes towards the boy, a walking storm. But the child is melting where he stands, not able to look away for me. Then, he falls back as he faints and Jack catches him. He seemed to faint at the sight of blood. Real soldier material that.

"It was an accident, Theta S-Sigma. Don't hurt him" I say to the Doctor – using one of his many names - losing myself in his hazel eyes. They're so sad. Despair being their very base, tipped with misery and sprinkled with mourning. Poor Doctor.

He thinks he's a monster. He hates himself because Death and Destruction always follow Doctor. Every life he touches falls into darkness. Some pain haunts them. But he's wrong. The only problem is he can't save everyone. He's the greatest hero there ever was, ever will be. He is an angel who's had his wings clipped. He stops the monsters. He is the light in the dark. Shame he doesn't see it.

"You're going to be fine. You're going to be alright. Jack, we need your teleport. Don't worry, Grace. I won't let you die. You're going to be fine" he says to me and I smile, although, it's only weak.

"You know what Doctor?" I ask and he swallows, looking at me, fear finally taking a hold, "You're a terrible liar".

**A/N: Oh, so very short! Sorry! Next chapter, I'm planning for it to be a good dozen pages! So, keep up! **

**Another cliffie, eh? XD**

**Review please x**


	29. Forget To Remember

**Jack POV**

The Doctor. The lonely god. The oncoming storm. So many names, yet none were really his. I didn't know his real name, but I didn't need to. How can you trust a man who's name you don't even know? Well, I just do. He's proven to me who he really is, and I would gladly give my life for him without a second thought. But, I can't. Funny, since it's because of him that I can't die.

And when I watched him with her, how careful he was, and how panicked he'd been. He seemed to be a different man. Don't get me wrong, the Doctor had changed. It wasn't only his face, but his personality. You just adapt, I guess. But I was watching a new man.

He saved her life. She died, officially. She was gone for under four minutes. I remember how I looked at that monitor, just one never-ending straight line as the tone echoed throughout my head. I remember how I bawled and bellowed, how I demanded they bring her back. But, we weren't fast enough.

I teleported us all to the hospital. They took her into the emergency room on one of those beds. She was bleeding so bad; red became my vision. And then, she died.

I remember crying for her. But as all the surgeons, doctors and nurses stepped back, shaking their head with closed eyes, hands full of blood, and sighed for the loss of another life, the Doctor wouldn't give up. CPR had failed for the hospital employees, but he didn't do that. Instead, he wrapped bandages around her front, the blood began seeping through instantly, like leaking dye and he pulled out a bottle of pills, puting one in her mouth. Apparently, he's lost someone close to him because of a gunshot recently, well, recently for him. They helped bring back the recently deceased.

"It'll dissolve on her tongue" he muttered to himself, before he entered her mind. He was gone, like a stature standing in the emergency room; they stayed like that in silence. One dead, one alive. Two minutes later, Grace gasped for breath, her eyes shooting open and she sat up, right into the Doctor's arms.

He stroked her hair, whispering into her ear as she melted into his arms. I couldn't move, watching on it shock. He brought her back to life, that lonely god, that time lord. He didn't give up on her when I did. He was the hero.

"Grace?" I whispered, and she pulled herself from this stranger in front of me and swung her legs off the table. Falling into my arms, like a rock to water, I rocked her gently as she went rigid under me.

"Jack…" she kept muttering, her voice so afraid. Twice now the darkness had almost got her.

"Shh…It's gone kiddo. It's gone" I soothed her. The Doctor watched her, and he smiled. It must have been one of the first times I'd seen him smile since we'd been reunited. And the, I sat on the table, my arm around Grace's shoulders as she leant against me, and the Doctor was in her mind again.

"You always have to be the hero, huh? I told you that you're too good for your own safety" I murmured and she smiled in reply. The Doctor and she had locked eyes, so she just talked to me like she was talking to him,

"What? And let you have all the glory?" she replied, amazing me how she can be so happy after everything she's been through.

"Hey! At least I can't die" I replied, grinning and clasping her tighter.

"Technically, you can die" interjected the Doctor, "You just don't stay that way every long". Gracie smiled at him, and I rolled my eyes,

"Yeah, yeah" I muttered. Grace's eyes suddenly bulged and she gasped, the Doctor pulled away from her like it hurt him. She blinked, falling into my side for support, before looking around her in surprise.

It's amazing what a time lord can do with his mere brain waves. He took away all her memories of him, as he said,

"But, it's still all there. For some of them, certain words or actions will click them back in your mind and you'll remember, like when you saw me again for the first time and suddenly, you knew who I was" and she nodded, "But, others things, you won't know unless your told. It's safer that way".

Defeating death for the second time, with a gaping hole in her stomach, bandages wrapped around her like one hell of a corset, and her mind half blanked, she smiled at us both. I hated myself. I put her though this, I caused her this pain. If only I'd not asked her to come with me that day, it seems so long ago.

So many questions needed asking, so many answers needed to make themselves known. We both turned to the Doctor, and he didn't react when we told him we wanted to know. He never does. I think he has spent many years working on covering it all up.

"This is what I think happened" he started, pulling up one of the plastic chairs and seating himself in front of us both, leant of his open legs. The people of the hospital left us so long ago; they just sort of blended away when the Doctor was busy with Grace.

"The beginning was that day when Martha resigned from UNIT. Jack met Grace. Grace met Jack. And then Grace decided she'd join Torchwood". He was telling it like it was a story. Just a story. How nice that would be. I remembered that day,

"_Well then, Grace, Grace Miller. How much do you like your job here at UNIT?" she frowned at me before smiling cunningly,_

"_Are you asking what I think your asking?" she replied. My grin spread,_

"_Well perhaps I am" I replied. She mirrored my grin and shrugged,_

"_I suppose a change wouldn't hurt" she replied._

"That was when the paradox was made" he continued, both myself and Grace watching him in silence, "You, Grace Miller, were never meant to go to Cardiff and work for Torchwood. You were meant to stay at the UNIT base because a little after that, I arrived. I went looking for Martha, and that's when the Nepal attacked".

I remembered him telling me,

"_There was an attack at the base. Some dying creatures last panicked attempt at re-building their civilisation. I stopped them, of course. I had no choice. But, there was no one to stop me. I was captured by them. And I have been imprisoned with them for a long time."_

"I saved everyone, but there was no one to save me. You were supposed to save me, Grace. But you weren't there. And then, I was captured and imprisoned. That's the thing about time; it doesn't like being messed up"

"It tried correcting itself, by disposing of you, Grace. Jack went with you and everyone you touched - the Torchwood team first - were pulled in too. The UNIT bases where you'd worked, they were taken as well. Torchwood four was taken first right?"

"No" I replied, "That's just gone",

"Well, this world is just a consequence. A side effect. When I escaped that prison, the Tardis brought me straight to you, Grace. The watch, that was the Tardis too, oh she's a clever girl. Displacement ripples echoing her before we landed, causing you to have the fog watch before we met".

"You see, the paradox affects everything. It was ripping her heart to shreds, so, she tried to correct it herself. She needed you to meet me, and she needed you to know about me, so she sent you that. And the voice, that was her too. Speaking on telekinetic Earth airwaves, sounding like a voice to you, but really it was a stream of numbers-"

"She translates, I know" interrupted Grace and the Doctor grinned,

"Of course you do. Anyway, I think that covers everything" he finished, clapping his hands together. I nodded, looking at him for the answers,

"What do we do now?"

"The only thing we can do. We take you home. We correct the errors. We change history and we save everyone".

**A/N: Okay, this is where I confuzzle myself. I really need reviews at this point, to make sure I've covered everything! I need to know I've answered every question that could be asked, so I can put it in the other chapters. I've done this chapter a million times in my head, but, after so long, you forget it all, so, did I remember it all??**


	30. The Box Of Blue

**A/N: I'm sorry! Its been so long since I updated, but I made the mistake of uploading a new fic that I fell in love with and it was 15 chapters long and each chapter was like 10 pages long, so I had no time! My apologies! Enjoy x**

**Grace POV**

My hand was holding Jack's, and I could feel the heat of his impossible life warming my unexpectedly cold palms. I had actually died. Again. Only, this time, I was meant to die. To move and give myself to the darkness. _Oh_, and how it wanted me! Its looming shadow of a form had grown vicious and impatient, exhausted with dragging me from the beautiful world of the living into its core but never being able to keep a hold of me because extraordinary men out of their times brought me back.

And I can tell you something, after dying, living again couldn't be sweeter. I felt alive! Blood smeared across my face, a gaping hole in my clothes and having to blink away an almost dusty film that had accumulated over my eyes, I beamed. The Doctor took his long, brown coat off and put it over my shoulders. Smiling at him, I put my arms in the sleeves,

"Thanks" I murmured and I watched as our eyes met. He was covering up some sparkling pride, a blissful pleasure in the fact that he could save everyone filling him. I didn't die, and he'd stopped every else from dying. Life would blossom!

Putting an arm around my shoulders, causing me to roll my eyes, Jack pushed the door open. Sunlight spilled contently into the corridor from a near by window, and I sighed. Home didn't seem like such a bad idea. Beginning to lead the way, The Doctor started down the vast walkway, intoxicating bleach stinging my eyes as I followed. Hearing a voice all my name, I stopped and glanced behind me,

"Grace!" Amber shrieked as she jogged up to meet us from the other side of the corridor, and I grinned at the feisty Scotswoman. Twisting myself away from Jack, who clawed at the air where I'd just been, I threw myself at her, forcing her into a teary embrace. "I'm so sorry!"

A silver streak broke the pale canvas of her cheek, I frowned sadly at her. I had hoped I would have the chance to say goodbye, to her at least. I wouldn't have time to say anything to what remained of my men. And that caused my stomach to churn uncomfortably. She continued,

"He would have killed me! I did try to warn you, but…" She trailed off from sobbing, so I hugged her tight,

"Shh!" I commanded, "Don't be silly! You did the right thing!" She smiled through her sobs,

"No, I didn't" she muttered and rubbed her arms comfortingly,

"It doesn't matter anymore" and she shook her head, panic bubbling to overload behind her glassy eyes,

"No, but it does! You were shot, I watched you fall to the ground bleeding! We're at hospital for goodness sake! It's all my fault…I should have told you. I should have warned you, you could have handled them!" I almost laughed at her as she waffled on with herself. I had faced those men and I hadn't coped, but, perhaps I might have if they hadn't had the element of surprise.

Opening the coat, I revealed my injury-less front. True, my clothes were shredded and soaked crimson with my blood, yet there was no wound from which it could have seeped. Unwrapping the bandages, with a grimace-filled squeal from Amber, I showed her that my skin was gap-less. I had fully healed. Whatever the Doctor had done, it was a medical breakthrough.

Studying me for a few moments, Grace's face froze in confusion and surprise,

"But…how?" Grinning, I turned to gaze at the destroyer of worlds, his eyes watching us with a clouded unease. He needed to set thing right. He could feel the rip in time, and he needed to fix it. Pouring its agony into him, it was selfish and restless.

"The Doctor saved me" I heard myself say, my voice distant and smiling. Gasping quietly as the pieces slit into place in the puzzle of Amber's mind, she grabbed my arm, ripping my gaze back to her,

"You're going home…" she said breathlessly, half-crying, half-smiling. Beaming lightly, I nodded, even if it wasn't a question, I still replied,

"Yes". A wave of emotion crossed her visage. At first, delight and rejoice for me. Then, flourishing fear and anixiety, knowing everything she had come to know as reality would change. Cracks of jealously in the fact I was going to another time and brittle spikes of betrayal that she would be left behind were soon smoothed over with relief for all the lives that would be saved,

"You'll save us, Grace? You'll stop all those people dying? Cure the world?" A memory, one of my own, came to mind,

"_Who are you?" I asked and she blinked at me. She replied,_

"_Who are **you**?" and I frowned. She smiled, "You're lost, Akeso, you're trapped without escape". I looked at her in amaze,_

"_What did you call me? She's a Greek goddess isn't she?" the girl smiled at me,_

"_Of curing, she is. You will have many names"._

She was right. I would cure the world of The Infection before it took a hold. Standing with our arms around each other, we were like childhood best friends moving away from each other,

"I promise" I swore to her, holding my hand up with my little finger held out. She chuckled quietly, and mirrored my actions. We pinky swore.

"I'll miss you". I felt myself begin to cry, my salty tears becoming rivers in the grime and blood splattered across my face. Laughing at myself, I wiped them away and laughed at a wet-faced Amber, whispering,

"I'll miss you too, Am". She wouldn't remember me, I wouldn't have ever existed to her. My time was before hers, and maybe, if _she _even existed, our paths might cross, an old woman and a teenager. But I doubted it. Hating the thought that the world would never meet Amber, I felt my heart twist painfully and refused to believe it. She would always live to me. She would always be a apart of my life. I would never forget her.

I didn't see the Doctor and Jack share a glance, various emotions trailing between the, the time lord was scorning, disapproving of Jack letting me get attached to people while the immortal man defended himself. He spoke silently that the Doctor should be one of the people in time to understand that sometimes, we need somebody as a key to reality.

Our teary, heart felt farewell was shattered as the doors around us were thrown open loudly, causing me to flinch as the booming, beated noise of soldiers marching in, weapons in hand and faces controlled of any emotion. Basic order-followers. War was always an uninvited guest.

Growling, Jack was at my side instantly, the Doctor obviously dragged with him. Why did he feel he had to protect everyone? Because he couldn't die? I hated feeling defenseless as he made me out to be. Yet, deep down, I was thankful. He couldn't bear losing me in this god forsaken world. And I didn't blame him. I guess, I like feeling safe even with a dozen guns in my face.

Tired and bored with this same new, dark and cold world, I couldn't stand this anymore. They couldn't stop me. I would go home if it killed me.

My thoughts, however, were interrupted as the one person I least expected walked in. He still hadn't changed much; he was as controlling and manipulative as before, thinking himself a king. Walking in a proud manner, and with his eyes narrowed as he stared at out little group. An air of almost cunningness circled around him, and ever since his innocent façade had dropped from out first meeting, that air knocked me sick.

One of the only differences that I noticed as he walked in with his shield of men was that he seemed to have lost more hair. I scowled at Lord Edgar, my thoughts were only that he would buy a big, diamond-encrusted crown to cover up his slowly receding hairline, if he could find one big enough.

He used to be a warm, trusting and almost grandparent-like person, but he soon revealed himself to be a cold, spoilt child. Making my skin crawl, I hated the man more and more. Why was it that the bad guy had to be the one in charge? What was worse was that, at that moment, he had his eyes set directly on Jack. And he was moving in for the attack. His gaze falling to me, still not losing any of its sharp accusation, he said,

"Glad to see you are well again, Miller. I heard of the unfortunate event you were trapped in, and you have my apologies that aid wasn't sent sooner". I glared at him. Yeah, _of course_ he was glad to see me. He loved having a woman so high in authority. And, on another note, since when did he send aid? He didn't even know I was in trouble! What was he even doing here? Had he come all this way from Glasgow?

"Harkness" he continued, speaking directly to Jack with a cold, toneless voice, "As you know, war has been declared, and they'll attack us again before the week is out. We need to make the second move, attack before them. The battle plans need making, and we need to defend ourselves. This started out because of the Infection, so we'll fight fire with fire. This is chemical warfare, and we need you to lead us into battle".

Silence. Was. This. Guy. _Serious_? No way! This wasn't our war! Jack had been through enough wars in his damned, elongated life! My eyes, they must have turned red or something, I could actually feel them heating up.

Jack wore an expression I had never seen before. Jaw clenched, shoulders tense and a stare so intense, set primarily on Edgar. He looked like a predator, and any minute now, he would attack.

"Chemical warfare?" he said in a cold voice, full of disbelief, "Oh, that's dirty fighting". I knew what my leader was thinking. Edgar had never been in war. Had never seen it. Never heard gunshots, and men shouting and bombs. Never heard men dying. Never heard them splutter and choke as their lungs filled and they drowned without water. Never saw them fall to the ground, eyes scarlet with blood and faces black with death. Edgar was a sheep in a world of wolves, and he thought himself a lion.

Edgar's gaze was suddenly caught on the time lord stood to the side, forgotten but not invisible. The oncoming storm was the right name for the man who was stood there, clad in pinstripes. A man who's life was ripped apart by war and battle, stood opposite a man who would willing allow his lust for blood to consume him. Different as night and day. Dark and light. Death and life.

"Who is this?" Edgar asked Jack, refusing to acknowledge the Doctor, who spoke for the immortal man. The time lord's voice was threatening and overpowering Edgar,

"I am the only person who can take my _friends_, say it with me, friends, back to the twenty-first century and stop the human race from near extinction because of your father's mistake, my lord" spitting he added, "I'm the Doctor. I'm sure you'll have at least one person who knows who I am in your past-obsessed government."

Edgar seemed to pause, peering out at the time lord with narrowed eyes. He was thinking back, trying to place the Doctor in some part of his vast memory, his mind's eyes covering recent years. I could almost hear his hard-drive whirring; it wouldn't have surprised me if he turned out to be an android. His eyes widened in realization, it surprised me. Edgar knew who the Doctor was?

Dulled, crumbling eyes of an old man were suddenly alight with a new brightness. But, his mind didn't hear about saving the human race and about time travel, he merely saw the opportunity to feed his lust for war,

"It's really you! Harkness had said you might come! You're _the Doctor_!" The time lord didn't even blink in response, "The ultimate weapon!"

The Doctor, however, was outraged. That silly man had no idea of the rage of a time lord. His fury. His pure hatred. Although, that mysterious man's face might have been carefully composed and his muscles never twitching, not even his jaw clenching in the slightest, but I could see his throat was tightening. And his hearts were pounding. That thought of becoming such a brutal monster, like Edgar, caused the Doctor fear. Fear in himself. He couldn't-wouldn't do such a thing!

Watching his ancient eyes, I saw that anger licking away ay his patience, thinning it rapidly. I could feel his reply boiling, and eventually pouring off his tongue,

"Never".

Could, quiet and almost insanely calm tones were always worse then screams and shouts. Always.

I could have swore I saw Edgar smirk before replying,

"If you will not work with us, Doctor, then I have no choice but to see you as a threat".

The men moved in unison, cocking their guns into preparation as their aim shifted to that very time lord. The Doctor didn't even react, as if he didn't see them. Staring at Lord Edgar, his eyes were solid, and oh, how the old man held the oncoming storm with his own eyes! Two men, both forced to live long, tiring lives, were on either end of a winless war.

Jack glanced everywhere, panic apparent on his visage. Placing himself between the majority of the soldiers and the Doctor, he growled in the way only Jack can. He forced each and everyone of those boys to look him in eyes before they attacked. Being the protector, as always.

"You'll have to go through me first" and that's when I snapped. That was enough. I had had _enough_! No more fighting, no more death and no more god damn guns, not unless it was me! As one of the lads moved around me, so he was almost in front, getting a better aim at the Doctor, I saw my chance, and I took it.

Spinning as I kicked my foot into his stomach, he came stumbling backwards. Amber screamed in shock and horror. With a swift elbow in his chest and a palm slammed into his face, I broke his nose and caused him to fall about, dripping blood everywhere. With a final blow, I twisted his arms behind him, almost like a police officer, and slammed him face first into the wall. Picking up his fallen gun, I turned on his team mates, prepared to attack. They just stared at me, dumb struck.

"That's right" I said, "The red-head has a temper".

I flexed my once mauled hand, smiling when pain didn't ripple. Thank you, Doctor! It seemed the medical marvel had healed everything. I wouldn't be surprised in my tonsils had grown back.

They were all looking at me, some were angry, other shocked. Edgar was neutral, almost frowning at me, like a child doing something stupid. Amber was in a state of shock, and she seemed to be building with a hidden fear. She's never seen me fight before. Jack was one of the angry ones, scorning me with his expression. What the hell are you doing? He said with his eyes. The Doctor, however, was the one reaction I didn't expect. Pity.

He closed the space between us, his hand were in the air. Only, not for the soldiers, but for me. My eyebrows knitting together, I pointed the gun away from him. I wouldn't shoot you, I said with my expression and he blinked, sadly. When he was right next to me, his put his hands on the barrel of my gun. Warning him with my eyes, I knew it would only be an accident away from shooting him.

He moved closer, and in my ear, he whispered,

"You don't need to support yourself with a gun, anymore, Grace. I will protect you. Nothing will happen, I promise". And for some reason, I shook my head,

"I'm not supporting myself with a gun…" and he chuckled,

"Stubborn" he murmured and I smiled, letting go of the weapon in my hands, and he took it from me, stepping back to Jack's protection while smiling at me. I suddenly felt…defenseless. Open. And drastically vulnerable. But safe. And not alone.

I had depended on that gun. On all my guns I'd ever held. I knew I could fight if I had them. But the Doctor? He was like a big, unbeatable weapon no one had seen the likes of. Edgar was staring at me, as was Jack. Even Amber was. Thinking to themselves, thoughts I couldn't imagine. I guess it was the whispering that had done that.

"Edgar" I said for the first time since he'd shown up, "You're right. There's already been enough loss on our side, we should fight. But, as you can see, I'm in no fit state to. Let them take me home". Smirking, he was about to reply when I added, "My real home".

That seemed to stop his train of thought, and he studied me. Something was dancing around his mind. Perhaps it was worry. Perhaps distrust. Perhaps even fear. Whatever it was, it was showing how hollow my statement was. Of course it was a lie.

After a moment, in which Jack was glancing between me and the lord. And Amber grasped my hand. And the Doctor even began to study me with a curiosity in his eyes. But my eyes never broke contact with Edgar. The old man saw me speak and look him in the eye. I had always been an excellent liar.

"Fine" said Edgar, "If you can get home without leaving the hospital, then fine. If not, you're coming with us as well, Miller". He said finally but that didn't stop me for grinning,

"Thanks, my lord" I said, unsuccessful in keeping the sarcasm from my tone. Skipping to the Doctor and Jack, I tagged Amber along with me. We all glanced to the Doctor expectedly and he just blinked back before he seemed to click,

"Oh, right, my queue!" he said and grinned that best-day-of-his-life grin again. I could fall in love with that grin. Shaking his head slightly, he replied, "Rightio, Grace Miller. Home it is".

Grinning, I mirrored Jack's smile. Slightly shaking, Amber kept glancing back down to the other end of the corridor. I guessed what it was, and guessed correctly. Lei. I didn't know what had happened to the girl, but I wanted her to be safe. I wanted her to wake up to her mother.

Searching in his pockets with a frown on his face, the Doctor was unaware of the things going on around him. The soldiers glanced at each other, not sure whether to have their weapons up or not where as Edgar looked impatient and slightly anxious, his eyebrow raised.

"Ah-ha!" exclaimed the Doctor with another huge grin and he pulled out a key. Small and silver, it was your average key. I frowned as he held it out, waiting for the magic to happen,

"A key?" I questioned and Jack chortled with laughter,

"It's not the key, Grace. It's the lock we need!" and he shook his head in mock shame. My frown continued until I suddenly understood, the image popping into my mind as if they had been buried in the back of my memory.

"The Tardis!" we said in unison and stood there, beaming like three idiots, and another confused and slightly alarmed addition, to the side. Staring at the slightly old, yet alluring key, a gateway into a whole new world. I could see it in my mind, in so many people's hands, as they became constant companions to the amazing time lord.

That box of blue. Oh, how I would love to see it! To hear it. To travel in the Tardis. And I actually would. It was unthinkable. Grinning, the Doctor watched me,

"The Tardis needs you to go back, Grace. To heal the wound of time, because she can feel it, and so I can feel it. If you called for her, she would come to us. Just this once" and he clicked his jaw, "Call for her, Grace!"

Blinking and inhaling quickly, I looked to Jack who just smiled and indicated for me to take the key. Suddenly, that angelic, shimmering piece of metal was coming closer and closer, and it looked so cold. I didn't want to… I couldn't…

Her words echoed around my head again. I know it was stupid, but I believed her. She had been right before…

"_The box! The blue box!" she gasped and I tried backing away. She was gripping so hard it hurt,_

"_Get off!" I whispered and my chair fell to the ground,_

"_It will burn! The blue box will burn, you must not go inside!" she shrieked. I pulled my hand out of hers and she suddenly began screaming,_

"_The box will burn! The blue box! He brings only death!"_

The blue box would burn. It was impossible of course; nothing could penetrate the outer shell of that Tardis. She was invincible. But, fear crowded my mind. Everything so far had been my fault; everything I had touched had wiltered and perished. Would I burn the blue box?

"I-I…" And the Doctor's smile faltered for a frown. Ha. A frown. Did that not sum up the last few months? One big confusing puzzle. Swallowing, I screamed at the fear to get off me. This was my destiny. And destiny had been cruel so far, maybe now, it would pay up.

Holding my palm out, I awaited the key with a held breath. His smiled returning, he let it drop. It hit my palm, bouncing a bit as it did, and I gasped. It was warm. But, something seemed to claw at my mind through it. I almost dropped it, before a voice I'd heard before spoke,

"_Hello, Grace Miller. Nice to finally meet you_". She was speaking to me. She. Was. Speaking! Shaking slightly, my eyes stayed wide as I stared at the key, and I forgot how to breathe. That was impossible! I almost laughed. Nothing was impossible with the Doctor.

"But…" I said to the Doctor and he grinned. I couldn't say it. She was speaking! He just nodded, confirming I wasn't hearing things and I swallowed again, noticing Jack's alarmed expression and Amber's frightened one.

"_Hello_" I replied, unsure whether she could hear me. That was when I suddenly felt like someone was dragging against me and I was surprised my chest wasn't jerked forward. She began to pull herself to us, using me as a guide. I could feel her, in all her power and magnificence as she began to materialize, that sounds echoing around the world.

It was so alien. She was so alien. But, I'd never felt more at home as I listened to that song. The song of time. Closing my eyes, I felt the air spin and twist around her form as she appeared, my hair blowing about and my cheeks turning pink with the sudden chill.

It was the greatest experience I'd ever had.

When the silence, tinted with an almost breathe-like humming from her, hit my ears, I opened my eyes and smiled in amazement. She was more stunning then the Doctor's memories gave her credit for. Looking as if she made of simple painted wood, and frosted glass, she hid the biggest secret this side of the sun. She could travel through time and space.

"A police box?" I heard Amber and Edgar say in unison, the Scotswoman blushing when she realized. Grinning at her, myself, Jack and the Doctor nodded.

"A police box" Jack replied. Brushing my finger across her front, I sighed. A door away from home.

"How will that take you home?" Edgar soon questioned, investigating the size of the Tardis with his eyes. We looked at the Doctor, who was looking at me. I blinked, and found myself staring at the key still clasped in my hand. Twisting it in the lock, I opened the door.

I prepared myself to see flamed liking at the sides of the framework as I pushed the door open a crack to peer inside. Squinting, I feared that a cloud of warmth would smack me in the face. Nothing happened though. No flames.

I smiled, and felt the Doctor brush aside me, whispering again in my ear,

"Care to take a look?" I just twisted in pain. I was leaving. This had become my home when my world was ripped from under my feet. Friends became my life. Now, I would just turn my back on them? Spinning around, I let my gaze fall on a slightly forgotten Amber. She just smiled at me,

"Good luck" she said and I felt myself begin to cry again, throwing myself at her,

"Oh, Am!" I cried, "I won't forget you. Take care of yourself, and Lei. She'll grow up to be just as amazing as her mother". The woman rubbed my back comfortingly, getting teary again,

"We'll both miss you, chuck" she replied. I smiled at her one last time, before glaring at Edgar one last time. I turned back to the Doctor who looked at me sadly, regretful that I had to come to this place. And that I'd adapted and now had to lose all that. Smiling back, I wiped away the tears.

"Hold on! Answer my question!" demanded Edgar but I just pushed open the Tardis door and stepped in, glancing back slightly first. Goodbye world. I saw Amber wave at me and I smiled back, before turning into the Tardis. Oh, and words didn't do her justice!

The sides were doming upwards, decorated in a dalek-like design, shimmering in the blue light that reflected around the room, giving it an almost under-water feel. The grids clicked under my heels. The smell was indescribable, like a mixture between iron, blossom and orange. It made me wonder what the Doctor got up to in here. Centre stage stood the control panel. Littered with so many levels, dial and buttons. Also two innocent looking mallets. She was complex but that added to the wonder. Her vast column pumped occasionally and I grinned from ear to ear.

I heard the Doctor come in beside me, and stop, watching me circle around the room, again and again. I took everything in, knowing it all already of course, but taking it in none the less. It was so real!

"She's beautiful" I heard myself say. The Tardis almost purred. I giggled like a child and the Doctor grinned happily. I could see Jack standing outside, glaring at Edgar with his arms crossed,

"Catch you later, my lord" he said, tipping an invisible hat and he half-stepped in. Edgar must have been dumb-struck because he didn't scream 'Harkness'. Jack added before he entered, "Oh. And this blue box is a time machine". His smirk showed me that their reaction must have been one hell of a funny one.

We were untied in the blue box, at last. We glanced from one another and I sighed happily, cutting a comfortable silence,

"Let's go home".

**A/N: Yay! Home! I've decided this won't be a series :D **

**Review please x**


	31. The Sound Of Time

**Jack POV**

**Hello! I'm back! Long chapter this, so good luck. Includes various pairings, such as quite a bit of Jack/Ianto, one-sides Martha/Doctor implied, and a little bit of Jack/Doctor slash if you squint. Also, you could take it as Grace/Doctor and maybe even Grace/Jack if you wanted, but I didn't write that. My OC related pairing(s) will make themselves known in the last chapter. Did I mention this will no longer be a series and just one story with an epilogue? Good. Love you GwenxxOwen! I missed you in France, but I got you Tigger ears! :D Enjoy x**

* * *

I missed this place. Sitting back in that captains seat, and closing my eyes. Listening to the sound of alien life, to the pumping of the column, the whirring of her engines and the singing of her heart. Just being here, in the Tardis, and watching as the Doctor dances around her consol, pulling levers and twisting dials. Just doing what the Doctor does. I guess, it reminds me of a better time.

Because he helped me, that lonely god. I was lost in the dark, conning people for a living and having no connections to a place I could call home. I was too busy trying to be someone else to actually realise I was losing who I really was. But, then he came, and he took me away. And he paved me a path to a better world, a better place, and a better life. I found a home, and friends, and love. Thanks to him.

And now, I guess, I feel out of time. I don't travel with the Doctor in the Tardis anymore, those days are well over, and so this is like a trip down memory lane. Yet, now I look upon the start of a new story. The Doctor and Grace.

Her face is alight, like a kid at Christmas, and her eyes are grinning at him with emotions I've never seen in them before. She's fallen into that time lord's trap, and he'll change her from her hollow, life-less alter ego into who she truly is, with a heart of gold and a spirit to destroy any threat to the innocent. He'll save her from herself, like he did with me. And I'm happy for her. And for him.

You see, he doesn't just save us for ourselves. He saves us because he needs us. He's also lost in the dark, always running away, never daring to go back because he afraid that if he finds a home, then it will disappear again. That he'll lose everything if he feels he wants it. It's called survivor's guilt back in the war, and he's got it bad. He feels he needs to rid the universe of all evil because he couldn't stop the evil consuming his race and home. And we're his strings back to real life. We're his flames of happiness when he gets lost in the darkness again.

His eyes catch mine, and I smile. At first I had been angry, but now, I realise that I can't stop the future from happening, even if it means Gracie Miller will be lost to the sea of time. Yes, I said without words, it's okay for you to save her. And that grin, that damn idiotic grin of his makes an appearance and suddenly, the world doesn't seem so cruel, and dark. Because we have the Doctor to fight it all. The Doctor and his box of blue. And that will never change, oh no, because I will live through the centuries with him, and I will be the companion he can always come to when he has no one. No matter what.

And then, as usual, I'm falling off the chair and straight into the consol in the centre of the great dome, and laughing the whole time. I vaguely hear the Doctor and Grace also go flying, and the Doctor's great booming laughter fills my ears, and I grin. As the old girl stops shaking, I straighten up with a groan, and mutter,

"I'd forgotten how much fun this way…" and the Doctor uses my shoulder to lean on as he gets to his feet, and we smile at each other. No matter what, I think. And then we notice her at the same time, that stranger on the other side of the room.

Her hair is scarlet, like strands of blood, and her arms curl across her stomach, clinging there helplessly which her face looks almost hypnotised on the wooden door in front of her. Only fear swims in her emerald eyes, with towers of curiosity that are slowly crumbling as anxiety takes over.

"Can I?" she asks, without even looking at us. I glance to the Doctor, who glances to me, and we both say,

"Yes".

Walking towards the doors, she reaches out slowly and throws them open, a gust of wind throwing her hair behind her and forcing her to squint into the sunlight that pours in. A huge grin spreads across her face, and I knew it even before she screams it out.

"We're home!"

……………………………………………………

Looking at the book in my hand, it is so hard to believe this was the reason for all the pain and suffering. This little thing, blacked to the core from the evil that radiates into all other surrounding beings, poisoning their thoughts and whispering for them to open it and read from it. I can hear it now as I hold it, and suddenly, I understand how it was opened in the first place. Humans can be so weak.

The Doctor holds his hand out for it, and I pass it to him willingly. His face twists into a grimace as his skin touches its cover, and he shivers as it claws at his mind. If it took a hold of him, if it managed to convince him, if it even stayed there too long, then no one could save us. The power of the Doctor, of the mind of a time lord, of a god. It was so immense, that our feeble race wouldn't stand a chance. But, he never would let it do that. He never would.

Grace is stood a few feet behind us, and she refuses to let even her shadow touch anything near the book. It was death in its purest form to her. And she hates it with every fibre of her being, even if it too was a living, multiplying race of creatures.

The Doctor approaches her and he tames her alarmed eyes, and whispers something to her I didn't hear. Well. I hear, of course I hear, but I choose not to acknowledge I'd hear. It was whispered for a reason. And she closes her eyes, almost as if it hurt, and he drops it into the pocket of his coat she is wearing. I could sweat I hear it echo as it falls into that cloth cave, almost as if it falls a good few metres.

And then, it is done. The book will stay with the Doctor, and the future is changed forever. No one will die, and that world we've been living for over a month will never exist.

As Grace steps back into the Tardis, I feel the universe sigh. I feel the Tardis hum in relief. I hear the Doctor smile in content. The birds sing louder, and the breeze is softer, and the heavens dance happily. I could go on for hours, saying how everything is better and free, but, I'll just settle with this. History is healed.

With a subtle smile, I close the Tardis door behind me. It is done.

……………………………

Grasping each other hands, both I and Gracie grin till I think our cheeks will tear. Moving with the Tardis instead of against her, I feel her drag us through time. The Doctor grins too, often glancing up at us, and his eyes beaming.

And then, we stop.

Silence. This is it, the deep breath before realisation sinks in. Both me and Grace are staring at the exit from the Tardis, knowing we are a door away from where we belong. And the Doctor is watching us, looking for a sign that we were alright. He has no idea how we will react.

What he did not expect, however, was for Grace to turn around and throw her arms around me with an overjoyed cry of excitement. Grabbing my hand and the Doctor's, she drags us to the Tardis doors, and then out into the world beyond. And what a world.

The ceiling is cracked and half collapsed, the dripping of a shattered and unused water pipe coming from somewhere. Damp patches decorate the grimy walls like a unique pattern, but it is beautiful. The floor is full of dust, and god knows what else, but, oh, I adore it! And the smell is musky, tinted with animal waste and something that had once been alive but was now rotting nearby, but, never was there such a sweeter smell.

Gracie spins around, taking it all in with a grin plastered on her place, never before did it look like it belonged there. She squeals slightly, and she exclaims,

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see this god forsaken place again!"

Smiling, my gaze falls to the Doctor, who closes the Tardis door with a quiet whine and click. He notices me, and his eyes smile in reply. I find myself pulling him into an embrace, and he chuckles. I laugh too.

"Thank you, Doctor" I whisper and he replies in the same quiet tone,

"Thank you, Jack".

Gracie laughs, and jumps on me and the Doctor, who are still in an embrace, and she squeezes us both into a strangling hug.

"Jack, we're back!" she choruses and we all laugh. I had missed this place. But, I'd missed someone else more. "JACK, WE'RE BACK!"

"Grace?" a voice rebounds off the walls, down the corridor of the second floor of the warehouse, and into our ears. We freeze. Oh, it feels like a lifetime since I'd heard that voice. Mickey Smith!

Grace bounds down the corridor without a second thought, the Doctor's coat flying behind her as it is swept up in the wind she causes. Her heels are still heard after she's leapt from sight. I share a mirrored grin with the Doctor before we run off at her tail. I'd missed the running. Oh, I'd _missed _the running!

When we came into sight, I grin wider than I ever have before. They are all here, all the team, looking equally worried and confused. But, I didn't see them. Because he is here. Just standing here, with his face composed into solitude, and his body perfectly straight. I had almost forgotten what he looked like. Except his eyes, those amazing pools of cerulean. I remembered those.

Me and the Doctor watch as Grace shouts for Mickey, and the team turn around to the sound of her voice. Mickey is the closest, relief on his face, and then surprise as Gracie pulls him into a tight embrace, kissing his cheek gently, and grinning at him. He blinks, his mouth gaping slightly. Her gaze flicks up, and she grins brighter,

"Ianto Jones, get your arse over here!"

He doesn't get the chance to even take a breath because, again, she pulls him into an embrace and kisses his cheek, smiling and saying,

"Oh, just you wait" and confusion bleaches over his shocked visage, but Grace has already moved on, pulling Martha and Gwen towards her and hugging them both at once,

"I missed you so much!"

The team finally begin to recover from shock, Mickey unfreezing and Ianto blinking. Then, the questions begin,

"Where the_ hell_ did you go? The light-"

"Oh my god! Why are you covered in blood?"

"I called for you, but you were gone-"

"Is that the Doctor's coat?"

"Then the light disappeared, and I was so scared-"

"Where's Jack?"

"Gracie! What happened to you?!"

She blinks at them, and grins,

"Oh" she replies shortly, watching as they hang off her every word, "Long story".

And then, there is silence. My family glance at each other and then to Gracie. Their expressions make me laugh. They share the equal thought that she is insane. Or very deranged. Mine and the Doctor's shoes click on the ground as we walk towards them.

The team look up to us, including Grace who just grins happily; glad to be back by her friend's sides. Everyone stares at the Doctor, mixed expressions of shock and amazement. But, I didn't see them. I see him. And he sees me, an emotion of great relief and affection passing across his face before he covers it up. I have never noticed that before.

I am barley a few feet from him when I stop, and we just look at each other. There is something there, something I've never noticed before. Why haven't I noticed it? I've been in love enough times, how could this be so invisible? Well, when I say in love. I think people give too much meaning to that word, because it was never a life-changing thing for me. Was I even in love back then?

Ianto is different. He is like my own supply of air. I need him, and I've never realised before. I-I loved him, the whole time. I still do. I always will. And the thought of life without him, of watching him fall into the darkness without me… That thought haunts me. I-I think it's one of the only things I fear.

And so we stand there, just looking at each other. I am vaguely aware as we are both lost from sight, the rest of the team greeting the Doctor. I don't see, but I hear, even though I don't listen,

"Long time, no see, boss" says Mickey, a grin in his voice, and I hear as their knuckles brush,

"Mick-Mick-Mickey! How are you?" the Doctor replies, also grinning,

"Not bad" comes the reply, and there's a pause as the Doctor locks eyes with someone else. I didn't need to see to know who it is. Martha Jones.

"I've missed you" she says quietly and they share a close moment of embrace, cloth rubbing together loudly in the soft silence,

"You too…" the Doctor whispers in reply. There's a history there. A bond. But, it's not my place to dig into that. The serious mood lifts, and the Doctor grins. Don't ask how I hear him smile, I just do. The Doctor is the Doctor in his own weird, amazing way.

"Gwen Cooper!" he greets, "Protector of the world. Not a surprise, runs in your family, you know".

"O…kay?" she replies, obviously confused. And I hear them all follow his gaze as he turns to the only person he hasn't greeted, Ianto Jones. They freeze, and I know they feel like they are intruding. But, we don't see them. They blur away.

"Hi".

His voice is as velvety as always, deep and smooth. And so very god damn Welsh! I'd forgotten what it sounded like. My soul sighs, finally it has heard the signal that it won't shred apart and crumble away. Because I had him back. I had my Yan.

Closing the space between us, I grasp his face with my palms on his cheeks, and I melt into his eyes, and I think I sob quietly before I brush my lips against him. My Yan. Oh, I'd missed him. He had no idea.

A whole world opens up, having been closed off for so long. For what feels like a life time. Emotion rushes in, a breeze of colours, colours I'd never seen before. Affection, and love, and, _oh_, how can words do justice? I could breathe again. I close my eyes, and we fly. We leave the world, and we combine into a single entity.

We gasp for breath when we pull apart, and I don't let go of him. We rest our foreheads together, eyes still shut. That emotion is still clouding us, refusing to let go. I'd never let go of it. Not again. I couldn't…

He chuckles, surprise apparent in his voice. But I cry. I don't know why, but I felt a tear fall down my face, a stupid, little tear. I'd never been happier. But, I guess, I realised that I would never get this feeling of relief again. Because, the next time he goes, he wouldn't come back.

"I love you" I say, and we both open our eyes, and I laugh, "I love you so much, Yan".

I don't expect him to understand. I mean, come on! We were just an on and off thing, barely even a thing. Our relationship had nothing emotional, even remotely emotional. But, you don't appreciate the air until your suffocating. Yet, something in his eyes. Something stirs, and he smiles brighter than I've ever seen, but his face doesn't move. Just his eyes.

"You do?" he asks, and I laugh, looking up as if thanking the heavens,

"Yes! Yan, I love you!" I practically shout. And he smiles,

"I have no idea what happened to you, but thank god it did. You have no idea-" he begins to whisper but I kiss him again, a gentle, yet rushed kiss. Subconsciously, I feel like if I let go, even for a moment, then he will disappear again. I refuse to go through that again.

I know he loves me too. I just know.

This time, when we pull apart, we grin at each other, and I heard the unmistakable sound of Mickey clearing his throat. We turn, and suddenly, we realise we're not alone. The expressions on their faces are mixed.

Grace is smiling. She has been there the whole time, through out it all, and she has watched me slowly fall apart. Mickey is equally confused as embarrassed, obviously in the dark on the fact that me and Ianto had ever been anything more than friends. Martha too is smiling, happy for us even if she didn't know everything. Gwen just shakes her head. Apparently, she knew long before we did. And the Doctor, well, he just rubs the back of his neck in a Doctor-y way and smiles.

"You know, you're not often wrong, Doctor" said Grace randomly, turning to the time lord, "But you most certainly are about yourself. You think yourself the big bad wolf, the oncoming storm, the destroyer of worlds because death is your shadow".

We all look at her now, and the Doctor's face turns solemn and hard, rock with his mask. Martha gives Grace a warning look, but, if the red-head didn't break the ice and finally speak her mind, no one would.

"But, you're not. Doctor, you're the good guy. The hero. You may have lost everything, and keep losing everything, but you still carry on, saving other world and races, and you never even get a thank you. You took me back to my right time and you saved my people from extinction. You may say that you did that to heal the wound in time and to save the Tardis, and even to pay a favour to Jack, but, Doctor, you did it for more than that".

The time lord listened to her, and the other glanced at each other, equally terrified as alarmed,

"You did it because you are good" I think the Doctor may have stopped breathing, "but not complete. You need somebody, Doctor. Find somebody. Because, sometimes, you can't make it on your own".

Suddenly, it wasn't everyone else fading away from me and Ianto; it was us fading away from Grace and the Doctor. A stream of reflected hope ribboned from the time lord's eyes. And I knew he would ask it before he actually does.

"I've already found somebody. Well, I was meant to. I found you" he replies, and her eyes gleam, "Come with me, Grace".

I watched her freeze, surprise blossoming across her face. How could she have not known that was coming? Women. Had she thought that the universe would only be stolen memories for her? Her gaze glances to me, and she looks for permission. I roll my eyes and smile gently. Go live a life no one else ever will, kiddo, I say to her with my look.

She fills with excitement. And with happiness. And with overwhelming anxiety. When it bubbles over the rim, she grins a grin bigger than I've ever seen on her features. And the Doctor too grins, the answer already there. She throws herself at him, and their embrace is the beginning of something beautiful. Something legendary. Something that is finally set in stone, even after she decided not to follow her own path.

The Doctor and his companion. That is something the world needs. Being alone doesn't suit him. No. She's right, he is incomplete. But not anymore. When they pull apart, the again, glance to me. I feel like a father giving her away on her wedding day, and their the teenage couple asking me to let her go. An old emotion crosses the Doctor's eyes,

"Do you want to come, Jack?" and I roll my eyes,

"I think I'll stay at home for a while" and subconsciously, I tighten my grip on Ianto's hand. The Doctor notices it, and he smiles a sort of sad smile. I've found a reason to stop running, even if he hasn't. I've found my Rose. The Doctor turns to Martha, and I notice a mourning smile on her face also.

She misses the Tardis. And the Doctor. She had fallen in love with him at one point, but the Doctor still felt for his long, lost flower. And Martha Jones couldn't take it anymore. But, she is glad he too had moved on,

"No! God, no! I'm getting married, remember? I need to stay here. But, you be careful" she replies and he salutes to her,

"Yes, ma'am".

He turns to Mickey, and before he could ask, Mickey replies,

"Nah, boss. Think I best stay here, after all, I have two bosses now". The Doctor grins, and I nod my head and reply,

"Damn right you do".

Turning to us all, Grace smiles. My chest begins to twist at the thought of her with the Doctor. I'd been so careful, protecting her from the world. And now, she would be in more danger than ever before. This could be out final goodbye.

"See you in a few minutes, and you lot, don't get yourselves killed while I'm gone". I scoff,

"You just keep close to the Doctor, got it? Don't go wandering off, and, for heavens sake, don't be a hero and get yourself shot again!" She grins and raises an eyebrow,

"Yeah, yeah. I'll try". The Doctor too grins, and their hands find each other, just before their eyes do. It is strange, almost as if this image is meant to be.

"Have her back before Monday" I demand. The Doctor salutes and replies with a smile, before they both retreat back into the Tardis, with a final farewell glance at a confused, yet content team of friends and lovers. The doors slam shut, and I sigh a sort of choked sigh. There they are, the Doctor and Grace, in the Tardis. Off to travel through time and space.

I'd never thought to look her up before. Maybe, if I do it now, then I will find bits of her throughout the past, and maybe even in the scraps of the future I have. Who knows.

The team eventually turn to me, all confused and rather annoyed,

"Jack, you have a lot of explaining to do" says Gwen, and hell, how I've missed that feisty Welsh woman. Rolling my eyes, I reply,

"Long story". She throws her arms up in the air, and Mickey, Martha and Ianto share a look that says 'here we go'.

"Last time you went off with that guy, we were trapped in a time bubble in the hub while a dalek was only moments away from killing us! Plus, the Earth had been teleported across the universe, and we had to channel it back home!" she fumes, "And the time before that you just disappeared without a trace, and left us to clean up all your mess! And then, you came strolling back and asked us to trust you! How can we trust a man who isn't there? So, no more secrets, Captain Jack bloody Harkness". I raised my eye brow,

"Really, I do mean it. Long, long story". She exhaled angrily and stamps off in the opposite direction. "Hey, Gwen! You won't want to miss this!" She turns around, scowling at me, and then I hear the sound that stops my heart, each and every time.

The Tardis dematerialises, slowly losing all solid form with the music of time echoing around her. A beautiful, perfectly alien whine with an occasion blow of a pump, and she's almost gone. The wind she causes sweeps through us.

Gwen and Ianto stare in amazement, but Martha, Mickey and I stare on long after they turn away. We stare on in longing, yet in pride. The Tardis is such a big part of us, it's in our minds and spirits. It's a par of who we are. And we will always miss it.

"You do realise she won't be back by Monday, right?" Martha says quietly to me, and I sigh, "That she may never come back".

"Yeah, I do" and I grin at her, "But that never stopped us".

**A/N: 'Long story' Well, how many chapters is this so far? Plus all the stuff that happened in the time slots I jumped? Ha! How long do you got to listen? Should have been his next line. Anyways, hope you liked it :D**

**Review please x**


	32. Anywhere And Everywhere

**Grace POV**

**A/N: Hello all! Another chapter! My pattern of 'Grace POV, then Jack POV and back to Grace' I had going on will change after this chapter, obviously, because they've split up now. Angsty chapter, with a cliffie. Warning: Implied character deaths. Enjoy and don't forget to review x**

"Where to first, Grace Miller?" the Doctor asked with a grin, his hand hovering over one of the pumps on the consol. I couldn't help but beam, my mind unable to take everything in. I was travelling, _with the Doctor_, in _the Tardis_ and I had the whole of time and space at my fingertips! And he asked me to choose a starting point! Oh, that's like asking me to choose…to choose… Well, there is nothing like this to be sure!

"Everywhere" I exclaimed and he chuckled, happily. Smiling gently, I added, "But, I do have one request".

"Then I grant it" he replied, and I snickered before replying,

"Take me home. I want to see my parents and to see everything for what it really is and not the images I've seen from that cursed future" his smile faded slightly and I added, "Please".

"No problem" he replied, glancing down and his hand moved faster then my eyes, "Don't you think you should get changed out of those clothes first?"

Looking down at my tatty, blood-soaked garments, I shrugged,

"Fair enough" I murmured, and his head snapped up momentarily,

"You go through that door, up the stairs, turn left, right-" but I cut him off,

"Left, left, two corridors down, past the cathedral bells, right, left, right, around the stables and straight in front of me, right?" He grinned, shaking his head slightly,

"Yup, bang on. Now, stop showing off and get going". With a final grin, I replied,

"Fine, but don't you dare press anything else before I get back!" before I leapt through the door that lead out of the control room, freezing as my breath caught in my throat at the sight of the Tardis. I vaguely heard the Doctor shout after me,

"And watch out on the fifth floor! I lost a dalek up there a while ago…" I just laughed.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Sighing, I stepped out into the rough evening breeze, pulling my jacket tighter around my shoulders. I exhaled, watching as the condensation filtered from my mouth and upwards into the surrounding air. Cardiff wasn't nearly wet enough for my liking. There's no place like home.

I looked out into the beauty of a Northern sunset, the clouds a bleak canvas as the mystical rays of sunlight danced on them one last time before the moon rose and banished them away. Blushing pink with streaks of deep violet and a subtle gold, like the sky had been bruised. Taking in great lungfuls of Mancunian air, I grinned and spoke to the quiet footfalls behind me,

"You can't beat the North". I heard the Doctor chuckle and I felt him brush against me as he leant against the wall bedside me,

"Oh, I've always love the North," he replied, his smile in his voice, "But you all tend to have weird ears…"

Glaring in mock at him, I exclaimed,

"Oi!" but found my hand reaching up to stroke the curve of my ear. And then I remembered. The Doctor's ninth incarnation had a Northern accent, a taste for leather and the most peculiar yet fantastic ears. Grinning but still glaring, I smacked the Doctor in his arm playfully. He just chuckled more.

We just stood there for a while, and my thoughts turned back to my family inside. It felt so wonderful to see my parents again, and to see my home without the loss of human life as we know it hanging in the air. It felt reassuring, but, strangely wrong. I guess I just needed to adapt back to the real world.

Still, getting swept off my feet by a time lord and travelling through time would hardly give me time to adapt. A holiday, and a long one at that, however, didn't sound so bad.

I still couldn't get over the fact that that future where so many had suffered was my fault. Because I was greedy and wanted the thrill and rush of danger. Because I felt such an urge to help strangers. Because I wanted to see the wonders of the universe that were restricted to everyone else.

"How?" It was only when the Doctor replied,

"How what?" that I realised I'd thought aloud. Blinking at him, whole frowning slightly, I answered,

"How could I change something in the time line that was virtually set in stone and that had so much depending on it?" The Doctor groaned slightly, rubbing his ear and looking to the side as he spoke,

"There's no such thing as being 'set in stone' and destiny, as such. It's fiction. There are key events in history that so many timelines depend on, but, they can bend and change. Not without consequences. You saw a future where time was forced to take a different path because you joined Torchwood. The laws of physics state-" I interrupted,

"Yeah, I don't need a science lesson, thanks Doctor. I get it. But, still. How could I willingly join Torchwood when I never should have?" The Doctor grinned at me, then turned serious,

"Jack," he replied shortly, "He himself is a blip in time, so to say. He's wrong. All those times he was meant to die, and all the times he has yet to die; they should have an effect. But, they don't. That's the problem," he groaned again, finding it hard to put into words, "Time circulates around him, bends around him, because he is constantly spiking in and out of existence. Like I've said, he can die, just doesn't stay that way for very long. The thing is, when you get close to Jack, when your timeline tangles with him, time can blip around you too. And those key events can change".

"But, I wasn't close to Jack. I didn't even know him, it was our first meeting". I objected, having trouble fitting this piece into my mental jigsaw,

"But, you _were_ close to him in that alternate time line. You depended on one another. You see, if you look at time as a person at a control panel, then that person themselves would not have a time. They wouldn't have a time line. They would be in a place where they can watch the whole of time itself, and all the possible futures," he grimaced, "The mechanics of time, how do I explain that to you? The way Jack relied and needed you was taken into consideration from that future into the present, and twisted with the whole 'Jack the wrong man' issue; your choice was made your own so it could support the future where you needed Jack. Complicated would be one word to sum it up". I nodded and smiled,

"I think I get it. Blame Harkness". He laughed,

"It usually is his fault, so, yup. Blame Harkness". I laughed, but my heart was still heavy. I still felt it my partly my fault, if not completely. I didn't know why it was me that had to be picked to be the gateway to that cursed future's creation, but, I guess, I was sort of thankful. Not for the death and all the horrific trauma, but, that I got to be a part of Torchwood, with Jack. And I got to see a world hidden from society. And I got to meet the Doctor.

But, I couldn't help thinking about all those lives we saved. And those that would never be. It occurred to me then. About a life I hadn't even given a care in the world about.

"What about the Nex?" I asked, out of the blue. Again.

"They'll stay in the Tardis. Trapped in their prison. They're not safe. I can't risk them being used as a weapon". I nodded in acknowledgement, that was true, they were unsafe.

Somehow, I'd always figured a virus would finish off the human race. You see it in films, where a man-made virus of some sort is accidently set free and infects everyone, wiping out all life as we know it. True, I doubt we would become flesh eating zombies like most of the horrors, but the microbes of the virus would get in the air. And you can't trap the air.

The thought sent shivers down my spine, and I'm sure the Doctor was able to feel my sudden spike of fear at the intense idea of the human race being extinct. I knew I was terrified of the way t was always portrayed as being so sudden, in a matter of weeks. How it travelled so fast that the population didn't have time to react, to find a cure, to stop it. It was out of our control. And I feared the loss of control more than anything.

No, sorry, that would be lying. I feared actual death more than anything. I'd seen how there was nothing afterwards but the looming darkness and the other lost screaming souls. Who would want to go their after this bright, booming world?

Yet, it seemed Death was a constant visitor at my door. My life could easily be his second home.

"I have a sister". My third warning-less, random comment to fill the silence. It had been a while since I'd talked about her. In fact, I don't think I'd ever even mentioned her to a person outside of the family, willingly. True, it had been brought up by my bosses, et cetera. But, never of my own accord.

The Doctor watched me, not replying but his eyes were comforting as he listened. After all, I was telling him for myself more then for his sake.

"She's four years older then me. It went her, me and then my brother," I laughed without humour, but the Doctor didn't judge me, "My mother used to dress s in the same clothes, even with the age difference. We were like twins, but she was always taller. People even said we looked alike, but she was always prettier.

"She got married at eighteen to her high school sweetheart. His name was Mike, and he had these soft hazel eyes that were always loving. He was the greatest guy you could ever meet, and I remember, I sat there and cried while they were up on that alter and I thought that they were perfect for each other. Everyone scorned them for marrying too young, but I understood. When you meet your soul-mate, you just know". I smiled sadly, tears stinging at me eyes at that amazing memory of a beautiful day.

"They had been married five years when Mike was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He had banged his head when he was a teenager while on a roller coaster. It had broken and crashed, and he fractured his skull. The medics always said that it could affect him in the future, but they never detected it. From then and that day in February when the doctors told him, it had time to develop to severe stages.

"My sister coped. She cared for him, and worked to earn and support for two. She kept that smile on her face the whole time, even when he couldn't say her name anymore. Like some god-sent angel, she did everything. And she never even asked for a shoulder to cry on, or asked to talk. She just…coped. Sometimes, I think maybe she needed one.

"Seven months later, Mike was killed," I felt a sob echo around my throat, "He was out in the main street. My sister turned her back for a second, and, somehow, he tried to cross the road. I think he forgot where he was, and he forgot where she was, and he was looking for her. He got caught in the crowd, and he froze. It was always such a rare thing for him, no one could have predicted… The car didn't even see him. Sometimes, I pray that he didn't have to watch it come at him and not know how to move out of the way.

"He was always like a brother to me. While my real brother went to prison at the same time as we lost Mike; it hit the family hard". I cleared my throat, trying to straighten out my incoherent mumbling,

"Another six months later, those same damn doctors dropped another bomb on us. My sister had uterine cancer. I held her hand for the next few months, and I tried, I really tried to pull her through it, but, she was so weak. She just didn't have the effort to put in. She died on the June sixteenth. A Thursday. Cause: a diseased heart, a poisoned womb.

"Honestly, I think she wanted to die. She wanted the pain over. She had never been right since losing Mike. We buried her next to him, just like she wanted," I realised at that moment that I'd betrayed myself and started crying, "She was just twenty-four".

I closed my eyes, and sat there for a whole, wallowing in the past and weeping from the tragedies. It had been almost seven years ago, and the family had brushed it into their pile of memories and tried to move on. When they stopped going to the cemetery and replacing the flowers except for the holidays, I could live with it. When they took the pictures down from around the house, I could live with it. But, when they tried to forget her, I refused to let that happen.

"Her name was Mercy," I finished, "She hated that name. We called her Cee Cee. And I loved her, still do". How strange are my parents? Mercy, Grace and Colin. Ha.

I felt the Doctor pull me towards him and hold me in a strong embrace, shielding me from the world of pain and loss and facing it for himself in my place. I told him he wasn't the big, bad wolf.

"Let me take you away from all of this, Gracie. Let me show you the stars. You deserve them". Laughing, I replied,

"Let's run off in the night, and not tell anyone anything. We'll be whispered in the wind until the stars lose their shine and when we fancy some good, old home-cooking, we'll come back". The Doctor snickered, his breath warm against my shoulder,

"What is it with you humans and food?" Isn't it weird how sometimes, you can't help but laugh at the most inappropriate times?

"You know what they say about us Northern birds and ours pies". I could almost hear his smile. Pulling apart, I wiped away the streak marks and hated myself for being so weak after all these years. Of course, anyone who'd lost someone so close to them would understand. The time lord turned serious,

"You won't tell them, then?" I didn't need to as him what he was talking about to figure our 'they' were my parents and I wasn't going to tell them that I was going off to travel in time and space with an alien. They didn't even know what I did for a living; they thought I was a secretary for a millionaire in Cardiff. That was why they were so surprised when they opened the door and there I was – wet eyed and pulling them into hugs like I hadn't seen them in years – out of the blue without even a phone call telling them I was coming.

"No, I think it's better this way," I answered and the Doctor looked like he would object, then obviously thought better of it and closed his mouth, smiling. I saw what had happened with Martha and her family, captured by the Master. And how Rose's parents from both universes had been caught up in the oncoming storm. I think that is what the Doctor realised.

He held out his hand and flexed his fingers, grinning,

"Anywhere and everywhere?"

I beamed, taking his hand and grasping it tightly, meeting his excited eyes,

"Anywhere and everywhere," I replied. I had already said goodbye to my parents. I had told them that the Doctor was my driver, stifling a laugh as I did, "Let's go the back way".

We band both beamed, and strolled down the path through the back garden, holding hands like a teenage couple. A feeling of excitement, and anxiety and fear and overwhelming joy and so many emotions mixed into a big ball of butterflies, dissolving in my stomach and I grinned brighter. I was going travelling in the Tardis with the Doctor! This was it! I was actually going! Anywhere and everywhere. Who knows what beauty and horror was out there? And who I'd meet it. It was petrifying wonderful. Amazing!

As we turned the corner, our shoes meeting the cobbled floor of the back pathway, a sharp twist of pain hit my front, and it stopped me dead, as I gasped. The noise came afterwards.

A gunshot.

My eyes widened, my breath no longer needed and my body freezing in shock. Looking ahead, I looked straight into my shooters eyes. That's impossible, I thought.

For the third time, I saw the darkness creep into my vision, and reach out to catch me as I fell into its world.

For the second time, I was shot, a bullet piercing my shell and shredding my insides to pieces.

For the first time, I felt a complete and utter loss of hope. A feeling so hollow and lost, that I knew it there and then, as that familiar stranger's eyes became all I saw. I wasn't going to be saved by an alien pill, or by an immortal man. I was going to die.


	33. I'm Sorry

**Future Grace POV**

I kept my eyes to the ground as I walked up that oh so familiar alley way. Finding my way was so easy, it was effortless. I knew this place like the back of my hand; after all, this back path had been my playground as I grew up. I remembered me and my brother would go up and down this pathway on bicycles while my sister listened to rock music, locked up in her room. Ah, adolescence.

Standing about halfway up the alleyway, I lent against the wooden fence and concentrated on my breathing. My heart was pounding so fast, defending me against the accusing silence after my heels stopped. Pulling up my gun, I cocked it silently, and tendrils of relief surged up my arm and flexed my muscles. I hadn't used a gun in so long; the Doctor had made sure of that. He had saved me, that brilliant time lord, and he had relieved me of my problems and fears. I didn't get my courage from a cold, metal weapon anymore.

He'd done so much for me, I owed him everything. He'd found all my scars, hollowed them out and healed them properly. That was why I was doing this. I had to.

My heart stopped as I heard them laughing. So happy and naïve. Watching as they came around the corner, not even seeing me, both holding hands and looking at each other with that forbidden happiness. I got such déjà vu, it sent tremors through me. Been their, done that, got the t-shirt, I thought.

I looked so young in this time, with my long hair and my radiant smile. This was so tragic. And then, she looked at me. She wouldn't even have clicked who I was before I lifted the gun. My hand wasn't even shaking as I pulled the trigger, all those years of flowing back to me. I felt that burst of power wave over me, gripping me with my old obsession and sending my physically sick in my stomach.

The bullet sped through the air, twisted and shredding it as it went, and in that fraction of a second, I thought a million things.

I hated myself because the one though I didn't have was, 'what am I doing?' I had come here with one task in mind, and now, I was completing it. To kill me – my past self – before I could travel with the Doctor. Anywhere and everywhere. I couldn't, I just couldn't go. Was this suicide then? What a dark thought.

My fear of death never lifted throughout all those years. The darkness was always so looming, always waiting. But, above it all, I knew one thing that stopped all my various trains of thought.

I would face the darkness for the Doctor.

As the bullet penetrated her, and she froze, her eyes going wide in the horror or realisation. Now she knew who I was. I double over, my throat catching in my throat as I felt her pain. Inter-time disturbances linking the same person – us - psychically. Staring into her eyes, into my eyes, I saw the hope drain from her as the sound came long after the action. She finally understood. She was going to die today. I was going to die today.

I had hit her square in the chest, based on what I could feel. I was inches away from puncturing a lung, but close enough that I had scraped against the heart. She wouldn't live much longer, and I found that throat disgustingly comforting. It would be quick, but, maybe not quick enough. It caused an almost sharp pain of fear to ripple through me. What would happen? Would I start to fade like in 'Back to the future'? Or would it be more abrupt?

There was another reason for my fear. I didn't want to face the Doctor. I couldn't say goodbye, not to his face. I-I couldn't.

She fell back, unable to support herself anymore, as her body was slowly suffocating, starved of oxygen as her breathing slowed. It was coming. She was caught by the Doctor, who lowered her to the ground, so gently it twinged my insides like someone had sent an electrical pulse through me.

They would never experience what I did with my Doctor.

His eyes found me, brittle and sharp. They landed on me, and sent me physically backwards with a broken gasp. They were full of the anger of a time lord, waves of resentful hatred falling against me as they pooled from his ancient hazels. As they focused on me, and he too realised who I was, those emotions faded out for confusion and shock.

He recognized me, despite the change in my looks. I had aged a good couple of years, and I had changed my style to a pixie-like form. My hair was as short as his, and styled to sway down in the front. He was spiked, I was curved. The contrast amused me. It was the still that electric red I favoured. I don't know why, I guess I just liked standing out and being different, although, wasn't life with the Doctor like that anyway?

I stumbled towards him as he took my appearance in. The gun rebounded off the concrete as I dropped it. The hold on me dropped as well, dematerializing in the air. I didn't need it like a drug anymore. He was my drug, my air. Moving towards him, it broke my heart to see the look of pure horror that crossed his face. Every ember of his being was telling him to run, to get away because I was so wrong. I'd just killed myself! The things I was doing to time at the moment, it terrified him.

But, at the same time, he couldn't leave Grace's side. He had sworn to protect her, no matter what. But could he protect me from myself?

I stopped in front of him, and my knees gave way, forcing me to the same level as him. My mind couldn't comprehend it. He was there, right in front of me. So young. He wasn't my Doctor, not yet. And, I guess; now he never would be. But that's okay. That's good.

"What have you done?" he whispered, his voice so low, so rich in a snarl, that it shattered me. I don't think he'd ever spoken to me like that. He was grasping Grace, desperate to stop the blood. Oh god, it was everywhere. Her eyes never left me, and I could almost look through her version of my emeralds. She was so scared.

"I had to," my voice cracked, "I'm sorry Doctor, I'm so sorry, I had-" But I broke off as both me and my past self screamed in unison, the agony ripping through us. So little time.

The Doctor was panicking, holding his hands over her front, the scarlet blood – my scarlet blood – was drenching his hands, getting in his pores. He couldn't stop it, not the human way. Not now.

"Why?" he cried in that same voice, tinted with distress from the situation. I blinked for a moment, struggling to breath despite only feeling the pain and having no actual wound. It didn't matter; each moment, me and my past self were becoming one more and more.

"To. Protect. You!" I gasped. He began digging in his pockets looking for something – anything – to stop the bleeding. To help me. I pushed his hand off Grace, and pulled his other one into my hands, allowing my own blood to drip over my skin. He tried to jerk away, his eyes so cold, but I whispered with my own emerald, 'It's okay'.

I couldn't take it, seeing him look at me like that. He had to understand. The agony had closed my throat up, my vocal chords useless. Lifting one of my hands off his, I moved it weakly towards the side of his face, brushing his skin and leaving small crimson smear marks. He jerked away again, as if my touch stung.

"Please…" I croaked, urgency in my voice. My voice was almost dead, and I could only speak with my eyes. 'I have so little time left, please Doctor, please…' They said. Staring at me, he seemed to realize I wasn't a heartless monster, watching my eyes as they begged him. He must have seen the slightest sign that I was still Grace.

As I lay my hand against his skin, my fingers placed around his ear and cheek just like he showed me. The Doctor's hand went over mine, and he stared into my eyes. He saw both me and my past version. Before I showed the Doctor, my eyes fell on myself, my long hair mixed a river of my blood. Her eyes were reflecting mine, and she smiled.

'I understand' her eyes said. And I smiled back. We were one.

I gasped, the Doctor mirroring the rushed inhale of air as our minds brushed. I had to use all my strength to ignore the thousands of voice, the agonized howling and the constant drumming; a gift from the Master.

In my minds eye, I could see both of our minds like glowing orbs. Both humming and moving of their own accord, breathing out life. Mine was fading, the light slowly fizzing away. With a deep breath, I threw mine forward, forcing the together; the pain of it rippled through me, and in turn, through the Doctor. It wasn't the first time I'd experienced this pain, and this wasn't the first time I'd done this with the Doctor.

In the future that never would be, I share my mind with the Doctor many a time. Every since the incident with the fogwatch, there had been that connection between us. That irreplaceable connection. It was a sensitive thing, the mind of a time lord, and I had to be careful. That was the only way to cripple the Doctor, and I still couldn't believe why he trusted me of all people to willingly explore it. Had he done this with anyone else? I used to wonder.

The immense power of his mind hit me, and I repelled it back, like he'd shown me. Like I'd practiced. With unbelievable pain, I gave the control over my thoughts and memories to the Doctor. Now he would understand. He gasped, staring at me with glassy eyes,

"Grace".

One word was whispered from his mouth, and I smiled, releasing his hand, and putting it to the other side of his face. I spoke the only way I could, with my memories,

"_I am a hiccup in time, Doctor. I created a future worse then war, and now, when we healed it, I did it again. I did something worse then my race dying. The paradox that is my existence it gone and you can breathe freely. I'm sorry_".

He shook his head, his whole form shaking.

"No," he whispered and I smiled weakly. Pushing myself forward, I closed the space between us and I brushed my lips to his. I didn't realize how cold I was. My body sighed, like a person finally being able to breathe again after being a coma for so long. I needed the Doctor, he was my air. He dulled my pain, and the world lost its shadows and cruelty.

The Doctor froze, watching my closed eyes, before he too let his flutter shut. For so long he walked alone, he was the lonely god after all. But I stopped that. His soul said, 'I walk alone' and I frowned, and whispered back, 'I walk beside you. You are not alone'.

He was my final breath.

Grace's eyes dulled out, smiling at the Doctor, and they were replaced with that lifeless film. Her body went limp, but the blood drained from her, her heart no longer making anymore. My form lost shape, and I became dust that blew away in the Northern wind on my home. I died on his lips, still smiling.

My last thoughts were short and few, but thoughts none the less. They were of weak pit for my parents, lossing two daughters in a matter of years and virtually losing a son to crime and punishment. To the Doctor, and how he would have to suffer in his eternal loneliness. And to Jack and all my close friends in our team, and how they would lose a third member. I never got to say goodbye, not for the rest of my existence goodbye, just a see you later. It was all so tragic.

When I next opened my eyes, I was lay in the darkness's grip. I grinned, and embraced it. I died. But that's okay. That's good.

_Hello Darkness, my old friend. It would seem we meet again. _

**A/N: Hey! *waves madly* **

**Grace is officially dead. She's not coming back like last time, which leads us on nicely. I thought that perhaps the whole ending on Grace getting shot was a bit too deja vu, but, I tried to end it differently. I hope the cliffie wasn't too mean. But, yup, in the future Grace and the Doctor were a thang. Like I always moan about, how is it the Doctor always kisses the girl? But, since I wanted this to seem as Doctor Who-y as always, I added it in. I thought it was sweet :D**

**The last two lines are the two first lyrics of 'The Sound of Silence', but I changed them sightly to fit :D I feel proud about this chap. **

**Two more chaps to go, and then fin. 35 in all. **

**Review please x**


	34. A Walk Down Memory Lane

**No One's POV!**

**A/N: No this is one big-assed chapter! It's so big, I've had to split it into two :D Took me two days to write this. Okay, a couple of notes: Originally, this would have been a series and my version of a Doctor Who series with Grace as the new companion, and she would have died in the last story. However, I just don't have time to write it, so I've compressed it into a single story :D Some of them would have been one-shots, and others long fics. I am doing snippets of the adventures I'd have done, and it does inclue a few things. I imply a MerlinxDoctorWho crossover, with the Merlin/Arthur pairing. There is a piece inspired by, 'Fruit Not Of The Loom' too. Also, I do imply a second DoctorWhoxTorchwood crossover, with a character death. Of course, this would all be in an alternate future, so it would not actually happen :D Comprende? 'Kay, I think that's all. **

He stayed there, kneeling beside her for God knows how long. His hands in his lap and his eyes still shut, that oh so familiar feeling of emptiness overcame him. It filled his soul, and brimmed over his heart. Leaving him sunken. A void of nothing. By now, the ache was nothing unusual. After all, how many had he lost already? This was just another stop on the train wreck on his life. The streak of silver, feeling like a scar ripped into his cheek, still clinged onto the droplet of his tear from where it had fallen down as Grace split into dust.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he finally allowed his eyes to open, and his vision to adjust. He was still there, in that tiny, damp back alley in Manchester. Still in Britain, and still on Earth. Sol. 3 hadn't moved, which seemed so wrong. Shouldn't the world end when the Doctor's misery increased? When another soul was lost to the darkness?

Creeping into his tunnel of vision, that vast puddle of scarlet reached out to him. Even when the heart stops, the blood still seemed to take pleasure in escaping from its flesh prison. Fear - such a rare thing where the Doctor was concerned – crept into his system, poisoning him.

He turned his head, and forced himself to look at her. That was a mistake he knew he would have to make. Just a body; that was all she was anymore. No soul, no conscious mind and no Grace. Just a body.

Her skin was white, white like marble, and he didn't need to feel it to know she was cold. It hadn't yet began to sink, but it would soon as she was drained, becoming hollow. The gaping hole in her chest, so close to her heart, was the core of the rivers of crimson. There was a small trail coming from her pale lips, no longer pink but blue. It made his insides cringe painfully.

The worse thing was her eyes.

Motionless, they didn't flicker or glance anywhere, just set straight forward. They had that otherworldly film over them, that film that descended into her colour pigments, turning emerald to grey. They looked beyond him, staring at the black sky of a night in the North, like she was watching the stars.

She really was dead.

Taking a surprisingly steady breath, he cleared his mind of the headful of memories he had been forced to take, and then he tensed his muscles as he moved. He didn't want to feel her, not now. Picking her up, with a solid arm under her knees and the other clasping her shoulders, he forced himself to his feet, shaking with heavy breaths.

Oh God, he thought. She was so light. She felt truly empty. Her head fell to the side, and he shut her eyes before they could bore straight through his soul. They were once so bright and alive, and the memory struck a dark chord in the old time lord. How was it the dead always haunted him greater then all the horrors of the universe?

He forced his legs forward and didn't stumble once. He'd done this far too many times. Subconsciously, he pressed her close to his chest. What would he do if her family came out from their house behind them? How would he explain why their daughter was lying dead in his arms?

He did what he always did. The only thing he knew how to. He ran.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

He lay her on a luxurious four-post bed, close to the consol room of the Tardis. The room was draped in red silk and gold trimming; the exact copy of King Henry the eighths. But what did beauty matter now? She couldn't see it. Feel it. The way she was lay there, she looked almost sleeping. So peaceful.

'_I'm sorry_'

The mystic voice of the box of blue whispered in his mind. She whined sadly, and the Doctor didn't hate her for feeling relieved despite it all. The burdens of Gracie's twists in the timeline were finally eased out. The strain was gone.

He couldn't bear to look at her anymore, and instead retreated behind the barriers of his mind. There, he found a carefully compose pile of thoughts from Grace, in the form of a pool. Instead of water, there was the silvery form of images with a song of voices, like white noise. At the top there was a mental image. A letter. Human memories being such fragile, fuzzy things, the Doctor was careful in sieving through them.

_Dear Doctor. _

_You're probably confused, although, I do believe that you will figure things out from the mess I've left behind. You need to know that it had to be this way. I had to die, Doctor, before I went away with you. I needed to stay in this time when I died. If you understand love, then you will understand why I killed myself. I didn't want to, but I did it for you. _

_Please, I beg of you to forgive me for leaving you on your own. I'm sorry. _

_Tell everyone I love them. And tell Jack not to blame you, God knows he will. My parents need to know that I'll miss them, but not to lose hope. They still have a son left. Please, you don't have to, but, please. _

_We did wonderful things together, me and you. Saw such breath-taking and horrifying things. Felt such alien emotions. We travelling the length of the universe and back, and everywhere we went, people remembered us. And you were no longer alone, Doctor, because we were both Gods. Rightfully, we shouldn't have been, but we were. _

_You won't remember, so, I'll show you. _

The Doctor felt himself being thrown into the next memory, and he landed in it unprepared. Where had Grace learnt to do such things with her mind? Then it struck him that he must have taught her. Feeling light-headed, the Doctor watched as an almost ghost in the background as all different events played out. The first was their first adventure together.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The first time the Tardis materialized with the new passenger, Grace, it seemed to do it at random. The Doctor could see her, oh he could _see_ her, as she stood their in the centre of an opening between the trees. She was garbed in a long, midnight dress, her hair up in a unique way so that a single jewel was perched on her forehead. She looked simply beautiful. Although, she looked like she should be at some sort of ball, not in the middle of an unknown wood.

Trust the Tardis to take them there instead. She was a good girl, but she was old. What was more mysterious was that, although Grace had company, the Doctor himself was no where to be seen. There were several men, a few on tall, lavishly dressed stallions, while the man nearest to her looked like royalty.

His hair was long and blonde, and his clothes looked rich – for the middle ages. What caught the Doctor's attention were his eyes, deep emerald eyes, almost identical to Gracie's. His mind screamed, 'distant relative'.

The sound of the Tardis filled his ears, and it also caught the attention of all the other men. The men's ears seemed to prick up, and Grace rubbed her forehead with her fingers in annoyance. Somehow, he knew that his future self had left Grace there while he went on an errand. And Grace was surprised in herself for trusting him instantly, and letting him go without a second thought.

The Doctor – to future version – strolled from the trees, grinning, and greeted Grace with a hug. He asked,

"Everything okay?" And Grace smiled,

"Oh, fine. Just standing here chatting to my mate, Prince Arthur," and she indicated to the irritated and confused blonde beside her, "We've been invited to stay in his father's castle. Camelot castle".

The Doctor grinned at her in disbelief. The knights looked from one another in confusion at the emphasis Grace was putting on certain words.

"No!" the Doctor exclaimed, his eyes wide. Grace just nodded,

"And this," she walked over, and put a hand on a surprised raven-haired boy's shoulder. The boy was obviously a servant, "Is his manservant, Merlin". The Doctor laughed, and all the other men were officially confused.

"Wow," the Doctor murmured, his eyes boring into the boy, "Merlin…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Grace crept into the kitchens that were lit by candlelight. It certainly was cold in this middle-age castle. Something about not having windows. She expected to find the kitchens empty, but instead, stumbled in on a certain warlock hunched over his chair, a bottle in hand. Grace stopped at the door, and Merlin turned to face her, sensing her presence. He smiled drunkenly, and greeted,

"Hello stranger". Grace raised an eyebrow in amusement. It seemed Merlin spoke in a very broad Irish accent when he was drunk.

"Hello, Merlin," Grace replied as she pulled up a seat next to him, and just looked at him in a sort of star-struck way, "Guess what?"

"What?" Merlin replied in a slurred voice, not even glancing at her as he poured himself some more of whatever was in that bottle. He seemed to be drowning his sorrows.

"I know a secret of yours. Actually, more then one". Merlin froze, his goblet half way up to his lips. He suddenly sobered up, and his eyes widened as he turned slowly back to a grinning Grace.

"S-secret?"

The red-head nodded, and picking up the bottle, raised her eyebrows at the incomprehendable symbols on it,

"But, don't worry. Keep the magic secret and all…" the warlock gulped and stared at her with horror-stricken eyes.

"Magic? I don't know what you're talking about," he objected weakly. Grace dropped the bottle and smirked,

"Of course not," she humored, "The greatest warlock of all time wouldn't know a thing about magic, right?"

Freezing up, shock and pure fear entered Merlin's visage. The Doctor could guess his thoughts were along the lines of, 'who the hell is this woman, and how does she know about me?'

"The great warlock of all time? What-what are you talking about?" Gracie smirked, standing up and went to leave, Merlin gaping after her.

"Oh," she said, twisted back momentarily, "And your feelings for a certain prince will be kept a secret too. Honestly, have you boys heard of a thing called subtlety?"

At this, a blush crept rapidly onto Merlin's face, settling on his ears. He no longer denied things,

"How do you know?"

"You're kidding right? The looks you give each other, the banter, and the way you happen to brush against each other. Even a blind man could see the sparks between you guys". The Doctor could hear Grace's thoughts. Who'd have thought that the greatest warlock and the greatest king ever happened to be hopelessly in love? Ha.

With that, Grace left a gaping Merlin with his ale, and left in a sweep of black silk.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Next, Doctor found himself in the middle of a fight. They were somewhere dark, and, again, his future self was no where to be found. The only thing in his vision was the boy, Merlin. He was standing in the middle of the space, his body tensed and his expression looked as if it didn't belong there.

It was look the Doctor would recognize as the anger of a time lord. A look of pure hate. Of anguish and of uncountable fear.

Grace was there too. She was la on the floor below him, and she was bleeding. But, the warlock didn't see her. He was watching something in the shadows. Something was amiss. And then she looked up at him, and she saw it. That look on his face.

Like a premonition, she saw the flames in his amber eyes. The bronze fire was rising, clouding the world and claiming all life. The magic was building up in Merlin, that horrific magic, and he was going to burn wherever they were to the ground. And the Doctor had no idea why.

Rising to her feet, Grace put a hand on Merlin's chest, just above his heart. She stood close to him, and he didn't even know she was there. On her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear,

"Don't do it, Merlin. You're not bad".

The flames still licked at his eyes, but he seemed to shadows over them, stopping them from harming anyone. Finally, he stopped glaring at the shadows, and looked down to the ground below them.

Lying there, motionless, lay Prince Arthur.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"I got you," was the first thing the Doctor heard as the next memory materialized. He watched as a rather weak Arthur was helped down the stairs by his manservant. Growling, Arthur replied,

"I don't need your help, Merlin," but he didn't let go of his tight grasp on the warlock, who let a smile dance on his lips.

"Yes, sire. If you say so". Again, he didn't let go of him. It seemed to the Doctor like the very ordinary happily ever after. Perfect. Grace danced into view, and before he could adjust, she had pulled Merlin into a strangling hug and planted a short kiss on his lips. Before he could react, she moved over and carefully hugged the prince, and gave him a similar brushing of the lips.

Stepping back, she grinned and curtsied to them both,

"Farewell, my lords. I might pop in for another visit when you're king, but, we'll have to wait and see". Arthur and Merlin were still frozen, startled, and glanced at each other once, before looking away again. Winking at Merlin, and nodding to Arthur, she said,

"Get well soon, my king," before dancing off to the side without another glance. Merlin and Arthur were still standing there when the Doctor turned to see Grace fall into his future self's arms. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged,

"Hello! You think I'd miss out on a chance to snog King Arthur and Merlin? Ha. You need to get to know me a bit better". She grinned mischievously and the Doctor chuckled,

"Okay, but don't go kissing every historical celebrity we come across, or you'll get noticed. Trust me, been there, done that". Gracie giggled, and replied,

"Well, it's good to finally have you back". The Doctor raised his hands in defense,

"Ah, I'm sorry. If I knew how much trouble you'd get yourself into just because I went to visit the _Uther Pendragon_, then I never would have left you alone".

"Don't be daft! I would have never been able to get in on the action if you were there!"

The memory faded out to the sound of laughter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next thing the Doctor saw was the Tardis doors opening and he watched as Grace stepped out. She groaned and squinted at the sky, with a scowl on her face. His future self stepped out behind her, shrugging into his coat and closing the Tardis door behind himself.

"Just like being at home…" Grace murmured and then it came to the Doctor's attention that it was raining. Then the edge of Gracie's vision cleared from its previous blurred form and revealed a world that took both her and his own breath away.

They had materialized in a vast, majestic wood, with towering oaks guarding the heavens. They drowned the mossy undergrowth in luxurious shadow, and where there were gaps in the silver canopy, blessed rays of sunlight shined down like the skies were opening. Despite there being no flowers of any sort in sight, an elegant scent filled her mind, accompanying the impossibly fresh air. The song of life was hypnotizing; with creatures Grace could never have imagined singing to her.

She gazed around herself in overwhelming wonder, and felt the gentle breeze of this strange world against the warm rain on her skin. With a grin in the Doctor's direction – the future Doctor who was peering around himself in perplexity, taking in the beauty of this place – she bounded of into the forest, disappearing in the minty abyss, forcing the Doctor to sigh in annoyance and dash after her.

When she stopped, she could barely breathe, but her eyes were alight in pure awe. She was standing on a cliff of brilliant red stone, and looking down into a see of scarlet. The water, in fact, was as clear as ice. It was the seabed beneath it that was the same red stone.

She watched the waves crashing up against her cliff idly, showing how slow the planet was revolving. There seemed to be a loss of life in this ocean, and she wondered what was wrong with it.

"It's warm water," The Doctor said from behind her, as if reading her mind, and causing her to jump in surprise. She didn't hear him come up behind her, "Luke-warm. Like a bubble-less Jacuzzi". She grinned mischievously,

"Care for a dip?" The Doctor smiled, rolling his eyes. The red-haired woman, however, leapt behind him. At first, the time lord thought she was running back into the forest, but she was getting space for a run-and-jump.

Her eyes only on the edge of the cliff, she darted forward, not seeing the Doctor's outstretched arm and not hearing his shout of,

"Stop Grace!"

Bending her knees, she propelled herself forward, her arms spreading outwards instinctively and her breath catching in her throat. As her feet were torn from solid ground, they tensed, and a fierce wind threw her further forward. For a single moment, she felt like she was flying, light as a feather, but the sensation of plummeting through the air hit her. Gravity took a hold.

A scream of pure thrill tore from her throat as she plunged down, adrenaline searing through her veins. A world of crimson passing by her in fuzz, she gasped as she hit something that felt so solid, she thought she had hit land. Bulleting through the water, she slowed down to the point where she was suspended. Kicking her legs to stay where she was, she felt the water already seeping through her clothing and hydrating her skin.

Opening her eyes, she saw a world so very clear, with a ground of red and a ceiling of a blurred black sky with six suns, all at different stages in some sort of cycle. Stars dotted around them, and it was so beautiful. Bubbles billowing from her mouth as she stayed there, ogling the beauty of a strange ocean.

Looking up, she prepared to resurface when a black blur smudged past her. She froze, her first thought being of sharks. It flew past again, and she kicked her leg furiously, desperate to get to the surface. Again and again, it flew past, and dread built up in her. There was more then one.

She needed to get out. She needed the Doctor. Fear hit her. She needed to get out. She needed the Doctor.

Something icy cold and with a death grip clawed at her foot, and pulled on her with more strength then she possessed. Her arms flaring out and her legs jerking about violently, a bubble of air left her open mouth and the water filled her lungs. With an unheard scream, she was pulled away at a speed that let the world of red turn black.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The Doctor saw himself next, and his future self was running, charging through a crowd. People were askew with distress, congregating in a herd. The time lord had his gaze set on someone. Pushing past two huddled women, he reached out and grabbed an unsuspecting victim, pulling her from the chaos, and taking her down a side path. She gasped, not knowing who he was until she was squashed against a chest of pinstripes.

"Grace Miller, you need to listen to me!" he said and she melted into the embrace, trying to ignore the several sharp spirals of fear that still washed into her heart.

"I'm sorry! I had no idea…," she murmured, the sounds of a double heartbeat in his ears, "I guess I still have a lot to learn…" He sighed,

"No, I'm sorry. I was angry. Just, lose some of that dangerous excitement. I promised Jack I would take care of you, and I can't do that it you're at the bottom of an alien ocean". Grace grinned and nodded, sighing.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The Doctor watched, like from a window, as the other memories played out. Groaning louder, his future self sit up, subconsciously holding his stomach and grimacing in pain. Grace was standing over him protectively, a stethoscope in hand. She looked troubled, and partially terrified. Something had happened.

Eyes bulging and a horrified gasp escaping his lips, the Doctor cradled his abdomen.

"What is it?" Grace questioned, panicking, "What's wrong?"

"I-" The Doctor tried starting before pausing as he double checked, "I'm pregnant…" After taking a while to take in what he had said, Grace exclaimed in disbelief,

"What?"

Swallowing, and slowly pulling the stethoscope towards himself, he placed it under his shirt, on his stomach, and waited for Grace to listen. Putting the contraption in her ears, she gasped. At first there was nothing.

Then a heartbeat.

Then two heartbeats.

"When we blacked out, they implanted them in us. You wouldn't remember, they took your memory, but I do," the Doctor murmured, and fear waved over her, standing her hair on end,

"Us?" she mouthed, and the Doctor dared to place the stethoscope on her own stomach. _Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. _

"Oh God..." she whispered, "You've got to be joking…"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The Doctor didn't know what happened at the end of that little…problem as the next thing he saw was Jack. Grace hugged him, grinning,

"Hello again," he greeted, and she replied,

"Hey, Harkness. How long had it been?" Now they were facing each other, Jack raised an eyebrow,

"You don't know?" Grace shook her head in reply and Jack's smile fell for a look of sorrow. Taking her hand, he too wiped the smile from her face,

"Grace," he said quietly, "It's been twelve years". Fear fell across her eyes as she darted them around her in horror,

"You're kidding…" she whispered, and a sly grin spread across his face,

"Of course! It's been three weeks, you wally". A smile of relief fell on her face before it was replaced with a glare. She smacked Jack,

"Don't do that!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Blood. There was blood on her hands. She had it smeared on her forehead, with sweat and grime. She had her hands compressed on a man's chest, who was bleeding violently and crying out in excruciating pain. 'Stop, for God's sake, stop!' Grace thoughts echoed. There were tears falling down her face, leaving the rims of her eyes red. The body of a woman with dark hair was behind the two of them, lay unconscious in rubble

The place where they were seemed to have collapsed. Somewhere, a cable sparked.

The brilliant Martha Jones fought her way in, pushed the remaining pieces of the room out the way. She was holding a split lip. She froze, eyes widening in horror as she took in the scene. Gracie sobbed at her,

"Martha! Oh, God, Martha! Help me! Gwen was caught under the wall when the bomb went off and it collapsed on top of her. She's out cold and I don't know how many injuries she's got. But, Ianto's been shot. He won't top bleeding! Please!"

Martha took a brief pause, and then fell down beside the red-haired woman, dealing with Ianto with a calm attitude, dealing with his wounds. At the sound of a scream, Gracie went over to Gwen, brushing the bits of debris off her. The Welsh woman had come too, and was crying because of a shattered leg. The bone was piercing out the skin, and she was in agony.

"Gwen, oh, sweetie, hold on," Grace soothed. Martha began to breath heavily, stress in having to choose between her two friends on who to aid first. Grace didn't know what to do. How could she help? She was never any good at first aid; she couldn't even open a plaster for Christ's sake!

A third member joined them as the Doctor dived through hole, and took less then a second to analyze the scene. He knelt down next to Grace, and took out his screwdriver, scanning Gwen's leg.

"Gwen, this is going to hurt, but I need to push your leg back into place, okay?" The woman nodded, biting her lip, "Take a deep breath". Following his orders, she exhaled heavily before biting back a scream of pain as the bone was re-slotted. Producing bandages from nowhere, he braced her leg with a piece of a stray support beam, and began wrapping.

Grace watched him take charge of the situation, and turned her gaze back to Martha, who had taken off her jacket, and used it to put pressure on Ianto's wound. Martha's soft eyes were already watching Grace, and as both women looked at each other, something passed through them.

Ianto was in a bad way, and he wouldn't make it. He was going to die.

Without a second thought, Grace jumped to her feet, and bounded from the room, shouting,

"Harkness!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I'm sorry. Oh Jack, I'm so sorry".

The Doctor pulled the crying man into his embrace, and after a few whispered words and choked sobs, he released the immortal man. The Doctor's eyes were full of that sadness, and he knew that again, his life partner had struck against those he loved. Jack smiled at him through the silver streaks,

"Take care, Doctor," he said, and the time lord tilted his head as he nodded. He knew he didn't need to ask, because he knew Jack wouldn't come with him. Not now. Grace was next, pulling Jack into a long hug and telling him how sorry she was, and how much she'd miss him. How Ianto was an amazing friend, and he didn't deserve his fate. Her heart was breaking for him, and a feeling of powerful misery clung to her like an uninvited guest. Jack just blinked at her.

By the time they pulled apart, she was crying again. Jack unstrapped his wristband, and typed a few things into it. The Doctor – the real Doctor – could see from the memory that he was resetting it. Putting the teleportation device in Grace's hand, and closing it up, he said,

"Take this, just in case. If anything happens, come straight to me, you hear? I'm not losing another one". Guilt fell over the Doctor. Grace was already gone.

"Jack, I-"

"Just," he interrupted, "Take it". She smiled, and kissing him on the cheek, she let go of his hand, and followed her time lord as he went into the Tardis. The last thing the Doctor saw on Jack's face was a tear.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Grace felt her feet brush through the floor of brown; leaves that had fallen from the ancient trees above, and had been crushed by the feet of nature. Taking in great lungfuls of sweet air, and glancing up, she saw a world of fresh blue, with thousand of green shoots littering the heavens. The trees around them were true giants, so tall, she couldn't stop looking at them. _How high can the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know…_Bird song filled her ears, and she sighed in contentment.

Sometimes, the beauty of her home planet couldn't compare to anything else.

Looking forward, she caught the sight of her Doctor, standing on the top of one of the many high banks, and watched her with a smile dancing on his lips. She grinned back, and began running towards him.

That feeling filled her mind, that blissful feeling of being free. Adrenaline pumped through her, and the sound of her heartbeat filled her mind. It was so fast, so heavy; it felt like it would burst from her chest. But that was glorious. That was what she loved.

A thought crossed Grace's mind at that moment, but she had blurred it so the Doctor couldn't hear it in her memory. He concentrated, and then regretted doing so.

'This is it,' she thought, smiling, 'I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing this. Travelling with the Doctor. Anywhere and everywhere. And that's wonderful'.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Silence filled the Doctor's mind. He heard the clicked of heels and that was it. For this memory, he was looking out of Grace's eyes. He could hear her heartbeat, racing as she peered around her, her breath turning to condensation in the air before her.

She was on a street somewhere, probably the 20th century. Definitely Earth. Houses, street lamps, cars; check, check and check. Yup, Earth. But, it was a ghost time. No people, no cars zooming past, not even any lights on. Twilight was settling in, and it was terrifying.

Grace began to run, charging through the streets. She cursed as one of her heels broke and she fell forwards, catching her hand on a piece of glass and slicing it open. Freezing at a noise that broke the silence, she twisted and glanced behind her. Footsteps. It sounds like an animal of some sort. It was running, catching up.

Grace ran again, the world becoming a black void around her. The footsteps got louder. And louder. And closer. She had to run. She had to get away. With a blood-curdling scream, she ran into something solid, and it grabbed her wrists, forcing pain to spread through her arm. She fought, and her eyes widened in fear.

"Grace! Grace, it's me!" said the soft voice of the Doctor and relief spread through her. She sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment. It was still there, still running,

"Doctor! We need to go!" she said, and the time lord frowned, still holding her where she stood by her arms as she tried to push his forward.

"Wh-" but he couldn't finish, as his eye caught on something behind her. The last thing the memory held was the reflection in the Doctor's eyes.

A wolf – a big, black wolf – leaping from the ground. Pouncing more like it. Directly behind Grace.

No one escapes the big bad wolf…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When Grace came too, black dots still tinted her vision. The first thing she recognized was that she was on the Tardis floor, with the humming of the old girl filling her head. It whined once, alerting the Doctor that Grace had awoken. Two hazel pools of never-ending knowledge came into her vision, and the Doctor looked terribly concerned.

"Grace?" he questioned and he brushed his fingers against her face. She made to answer, but something else completely happened. A growl built up in the pit of her stomach, bouncing around her throat and spilling off her tongue with a poisoned snap. It startled the Doctor, who stepped back, hands out defensively, but startled her more. She whimpered, and panicked, jumping up.

One leg. Two leg. Three leg. Four leg. Tail. That's not right…

Her mind was so different, so much better. Her senses were improved, and she seemed to be able to push it outwards, like her minds eye could really see. The Tardis was an immense white light, and the Doctor's was slightly smaller. She felt instincts she'd never had before. And the greatest urge to run. To feel the wind in her fur. To be a spirit of the night.

Oh. My. God. I'm a werewolf.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Again, the Doctor never discovered how that story ended, because the final journey made itself present. The journey with the answers.


	35. Tears

**Trapped: Final Chapter **

**A/N: Talk about long! This is the final chapter of Trapped, unless you count the epilogue as a chapter of it, but I count it as a sort of after-bit to tie up all the ends. Will add a bit of a songfic on the end too, just because. Enjoy and don't forget to review! x**

The beautiful, busy surroundings of the subway hit her. She wasn't expecting this when she stepped out of the door of that box of blue. Creatures – celestial being of such extraordinary brilliance- of every kind were in this tiny carriage. From all different worlds and different galaxies were here. Some where in groups, while others chose to be alone, and it was truly amazing. The noise of strange languages and the brittle sound of their different breathing patterns filled the tiny space.

The fragrance of putrid, delicious life was over powering, and she tried not to grimace as she sat down in the carriage, next to the Doctor. He was grinning from ear to ear, gazing around himself contently, and not caring if he seemed rude in any way. As the carriage started, shaking violently for a moment, Grace gasped, gripping the Doctor's hand with her own without warning. The time lord smiled, and gave her a supportive squeeze of her fingers as she remembered how to breathe.

The carriage was going up, not forward.

"This is wonderful," the Doctor said to her, "All these different life forms together in one place. Brilliant. This is a trading planet, see, and everyone comes here. Best in the universe, well, in this time in the universe". He gave her a sharp grin, and she couldn't help but smile,

"We're going shopping?" she said, perking up. The Doctor laughed,

"No, sorry, but, we've got bigger fish to fry," he pointed to a poster on the carriage. It was of a vast silver ship, flags and all. Spaceship, of course, "We're taking a cruise to go see the Snicker Cascade. There's this beautiful light show on tonight with all these little pieces of rock burning with the power of a sun as it jumped across the sky. Once every five hundreds years it occurs, and you just have to see it".

Grace grinned as the Doctor ranted on,

"If it's that good, then our next trip will be going to see it in the next five hundred years. Just for fun," she replied, and the time lord winked,

"Now you're speaking my language," he grinned.

"Well, as a wise person once said, language is the way of getting ideas from my head to yours without surgery. Funny that, since you're the Doctor," she snorted. The Doctor jerked up,

"Hey! That's mine! Mark-McMarky Amidon. My, that was a day and half! I knew he'd nick that of me, the cheeky man," he exclaimed. Grace just laughed. She could never tell whether he was telling the full truth with the Doctor.

It had been longer then two years that they'd been travelling together, and what a two years it had been! Grace had aged with the Doctor, physically and mentally. It was…blissful. To have spent that much time with someone like the Doctor. With such a hero. A God. She'd become a better person with him, just like she knew she would.

Glancing around herself idly, she felt someone's gaze lock on her. She fidgeted uncomfortably, and whispered to the Doctor,

"He's staring at me. Well, I think it's a he," the Doctor looked over, and back to Grace,

"Maybe it's the hair," he concluded, thinking aloud and she frowning in disapproval to the comment. He shrugged and she lifted her hand to rub her hand through her new short hair subconsciously,

"Hey!" she exclaimed, "You're the one that cut it!"

"It was either cut it that short or let you keep hair longer then the length of this carriage, and dragging half that forest with it," the Doctor replied, a smile on his lips at the memory,

"It's not my fault that gypsy woman put a curse on it so it wouldn't stop growing. And it's not my fault that woodcutter kidnapped me and dragged me through the wood," she mumbled in reply. The time lord smiled more,

"Yes it is," he retorted back, "You're the one that wouldn't eat the hedgehog, and that's why she cursed you". Grace mock scowled at him,

"I'm vegetarian! That means no meat. What did the hedgehog do to her?" Grace demanded, and the Doctor grinning, tightening his grip on her hand,

"I know you are, Gracie," he looked at her for a moment, and shrugged again, "It suits you anyway. Makes you look…cute".

"Like a doll…" Grace murmured. The Doctor chuckled,

"You don't look like a doll," he replied. She smiled,

"Thanks". As far as affection went with the Doctor, he had just said those three terrifying words. You are beautiful, "Good job I had time to re-dye it. I look ghastly as a brunette". She remembered how she had looked. Like the end of her carpet of hair had been dipped in blood. It would have been funny, apart from the fact that it was quite an un-hilarious time. There was a pause, and then the Doctor frowned and muttered,

"_She _is looked at all of us," in Grace's ear. The red-head looked back to the creature sat opposite them. She was something Grace had never seen the likes of, and, therefore, Grace found it difficult not to stare.

The creature took up nearly three seats with her immense weight, and she was cloth-less in anything but her birthday suit. She had the same peachy skin as humans, so Grace knew this creature must have had similar blood, and a similar circulatory system. With no other features on her face, except several pairs of eyes, she looked like a spider hybrid out of a horror movie. Saying that, she was probably very nice.

"Self-conscious species," the Doctor muttered in Gracie's ear as she noticed the creature's eyes were on everyone in the room.

"Right…" she replied simply.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Welcome aboard. Would you like a refreshment?" asked the host, kindly, as the time lord and the human entered the ball room of the ship. It was elegant, draped in silk of deep emerald and crimson, complete with golden rope for the curtains on non-existent windows. People laughed, and drank their fill while other danced to the music that sounded like angel song.

"Whoa…" Grace murmured as she gazed around before taking up two glasses of a golden liquid that bubbled in two champagne glasses off the host. She passed one to the Doctor, and met his shimmering eyes.

"Well," he said with a shrug, "At least she isn't a robot".

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Grace ran.

Her soul hit the roof of her mouth and her heart was racing beyond the speed considered healthy, hammering against her ribs, threatening to rip free of its prison. Every breath came in gasps and scarred her throat like she was breathing fire. It burned.

Skidding through the collapsing walkway somewhere on the crippled ship, she saw the wires that were the organs of the walls had spilled over the floor in knots, desperate to trip her. Huge pieces of the wall had fallen from there places, and were hanging on by chance. She slid to the floor as she twisted round the corner, and she just stayed there for a moment, trying to remember how to breathe while her mind went insane.

Blood trickled from her nose.

It had happened so quickly. They had it all: the music, and the dancing. The laughter and the liquor.

"Do you want to dance?" the Doctor had asked her, and she had replied by spluttering into her drink and snorting,

"Hell no. Me and dancing are not a mix. Like fire and oxygen, trust me," and the Doctor laughed, swinging on the balls of his feet,

"Oh," he moaned, "Come on!" she only rolled her eyes.

And then there was the explosion. A deafening sound of the universe tearing itself apart, shattering the alcohol glasses, and sending sparks and shards everywhere as the electronics powered down and joined in the firework display of explosions. The shield on the ship faltered, and the ship collapsed in on itself with the pressure of space. The screaming. The crying. And then pain.

Grace fainted from loss of oxygen as it was forced from her lungs. It would have killed her. But then, she woke up, and the Doctor was gone. She didn't know what had happened. And now? She had only one thing on her mind. To find the Doctor.

She had been running around the broken ship for what felt like years, and she had seen such things - such traumatizing things – that her mind was cracked. She knew, back in the part of her mind that listened to logic but had no audience with her conscious, that the shield had been brought back up and that the air had been brought back from the suction of the universe. And then there was the reason for all this. It was still there, she could feel its power seeping into her despite being so far away.

She looked up without meaning to, that unknown part of her mind gaining some control. Out through a gaping gash in the wall and out into the inky, never-ending night of space, debris floated about idly from beyond the borders of the shield. Occasionally, a damned creature, stolen by death, would float by and they caused Grace to wrench in disgust and horror. Stars were dotted in the thousand in just an inch of her vision, glimmering orbs of hope too far for her to reach.

In the middle of the heavenly picture, there was a demonic feature that equally hypnotized her with wonder and terror. The sky was ripping itself apart, resulting in a tear larger then the solar system in the fabric of reality, and it was swallowing the universe. Bit by bit. It was devouring the worlds and taking them into the pit of its stomach: the void.

And it was her fault. She didn't need the intelligence of a time lord to figure it out. Because it _was_ her fault. She was the crack – the break – the hiccup in time, and she was the one going against her destiny and screwing everything up. This tear was exactly that; a tear in time and space. She caused it.

And she needed to fix it.

Forcing herself up on her feet, she bolted down the injured corridor, with no idea where she was going and leaving it completely down to luck. God be with me, her thoughts sang, please. Panic was like a drug, and it was poisoning her system.

Skidding into a door in blind fear, she gasped and without another heartbeat, she hammered on the sheet of metal. On the other side could just be the vast barren universe, and she knew in that forgotten part of her mind that on the other side of that door could be her death. But she tried getting in anyway. Humans were stupid when they were scared. That was their weakness.

With a mechanical whine and the hiss of electrical impulses, the door pulled itself to the right. It revealed a room – a room that was crumbling – held together only by the will of a lord of time. That pattern of blue from his secondary suit and his head of amazing hair were dancing around the room in frantic panic, his arms darting about everywhere, his eyes much quicker. It seemed he had too much to do and so little time.

Grace got her answers. The Doctor had brought the shield and the air back from the pit of hell, and he had saved whoever was left on the ship. That brilliant man!

"Doctor!" Grace exclaimed, her voice a dangerous cocktail of flooding relief, with hints of anger, and betrayal and a dash of hope. She collapsed into the room, and that very man spun around, ease capturing him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he cried, pulling her into an embrace, the world around them freezing in time, "I didn't want to leave you, but-"

"It's okay, Doctor, it doesn't matter," Grace interrupted. He was safe, that was all that mattered. He pulled away, looking her square in the eyes. He drank in her dear, and the tremors of terror that racked her body, and he studied her soul. She was crippled, so close to breaking. Her pupils had expanded with the chemicals of her body – adrenaline – like black glass, ready to shatter. With a trembling smile, Grace remembered how to breathe, her iron grip slicing into the Doctor's wrists. His eyes fell down to the blood that still clung to her face, almost on her lips that were insanely pale.

"You're bleeding," he exclaimed, wiping it onto his hand, and she seemed to come out of a trance, and stared at the scarlet, her mind else where,

"Yeah, I get nose bleeds when I panic. You should know that by now," she replied idly, her voice distant. He frowned at her; and they both looked at the blood. Her blood.

Then there was another explosion, the sky crying in agony, and the ship shook violently. Somewhere behind the two falling companions, the machinery showered the room in sparks, threatening to start a fire. One of the screens fell, and fragments of a thin, soft glass littered the floor. The room suffered. Scrambling up, the Doctor went into a mad trance, his hearts pounding as she raced form consol to consol.

"The core- We're going to- The shields- Oh, God- I have to- No!" The time lord brought his fist down on another one of the screens, and fragments piled up on the floor. He dragged his hands through his hair, his face boiling with anger and the first signs of true fear. His breath shaky, he fumed. But, there was something else. When Grace saw it, she it – in a terrifying way – strangely soothing. For the first time, the Doctor had lost hope. No more clinging on for a ridiculous way to save everything. No more insane ideas. No more answers. Just…nothing.

There was nothing he could do. The ship was going down. It would be devoured by the tear in the sky, and there was no way to stop it.

Even at that moment, Grace could feel the pull of the force that was so very far away. The ship was being summoned. Why was that soothing? Because at least it would be a quick death.

"What is it Doctor?" Grace asked, not wanting to know the answer, but desperate to break the silence, "What's wrong?" And the time lord took a long, raspy breath.

"That-that thing out there. It's a rip in time and space, Grace, and it's caused by fatal disturbances in the time line. I should have seen it coming… The signs were all around us. It's strong, more so then a black hole, and it's unstoppable. It is forcing the universe to collapse in on itself, and then our home as we know it will drift in eternity in the – the void…" he took a few moments to catch himself. To steady his voice. She'd never seen him so raw with fear. The Doctor never got scared. A part of her was shockingly smug; she had been right then. He continued,

"And the core of the ship – is failing. It's going to catch fire and virtually explode. The shield will fail, and the air will escape. We won't have protection against that crack. But, when you add the rip to the explosion, then you get only death. If this explodes near that – thing, then the fabric of reality will just…shatter. Like glass. I can't _do_-" she stopped him, putting a hand over his mouth.

Somehow, her heart calmed, with a gentle rhythm she allowed to fill her head. Her own drums. And her mind cleared from the fumes of fear – a word no definition can do justice. Face stern, demanding order, and eye solid from their previous state of liquid panic, Grace became as willing as any servant.

"Tell me what I need to do. How can I stop it?" she asked, and he just stared at her. She wouldn't accept failure, not after everything they'd gone through. This was not how she was going to die. Nor the Doctor.

The clockworks of his mind whirred, and they let every idea form wildly, just begging for an answer. Then? Something unthinkable fit the slot to complete the jigsaw that was their problem. The Doctor hated it, and completely repelled against it, but he knew it was the only way. He wouldn't let Grace…He jerked up, his eye collapsing in one themselves, fading to a colourless blur. Yes, he thought, I must.

Secrets were the reason anyone would stay in a reality like ours.

"If we get the ship into the void before it explodes, then it is a solid fact that it will freeze, and it won't set alight. There's no time in the void," he spoke let then a fraction of the truth, and Grace frowned, unsuspecting,

"But, how do we close the crack?" she questioned. He just looked at her, trying to hide the answer he knew on to well. There was only one way to close it, but he would overcome it. Or…at least try. Throwing his hands up in the air, a cheap gesture, he exclaimed,

"One problem at a time!" Grace nodded weakly, her heart like lead. The answer wasn't that hard to work out. She was clever.

The only way for the universe to live was for her to die.

She had been right all along, it was her fault. The only way for her to correct that problem was for her to eliminate the cause. The Doctor knew that, but he would never consider it. The less death, the better. He didn't want to be a God. Didn't want to decide who lived and who died. Too bad fate made that choice for him, that Lonely God.

"So, what do I do?" she repeated. That was the thing about Grace; she was his companion, not his assistant. She was his friend, not a soldier. She was his partner, through thick and thin, not his apprentice, who would learn from him. Grace was the damsel who always got herself into trouble more then out. She didn't know what to do.

The Doctor continued his one man waltz, as he barked the orders, desperate to save the ship.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

She clicked that small button on the screw driver and it whirred – or rather purred contently from being used – and the machine in front of her bolted and sparked before kicking into action. It whined in disapproval, but the screen glowed in artificial light. Punching in memorized coordinates, Grace took a deep breath, double checking what she had written was correct before pressing the big red button.

On the screen opposite her, there was a virtual map of the ship, with several black dots in various places that represented life. After she started the teleportation, the dots moved to the other side of the ship, into the escape pods.

The Doctor had given her strict instructions to get everyone out of the ship, and to evacuate them before the ship went boom. He had set his screwdriver to overlook Grace and himself, and then gave it to her. He had barked those orders, and she had to remember them on the spot. Willingly, she did so. Of course.

There had been something in that time lord's voice as he spoke. As Grace ran out of the teleport and followed her mental map around the ship, she couldn't help but hear his voice echo. Flooded with that strange form of anxiety – almost gripping fear – there were bubbles of…regret. What was he regretting? What had he to regret? It was all so weird.

When she had left him, he was ripping the heart of the ship apart, glasses clinging on for dear life to his face as he created something impossible and amazing. His eyes were distant as he fought an inner battle. Being naïve as she was, Grace couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through his mind. It would shake her to her very core.

She came to a room the width of her street back home. Along one side, there were a series of doors, all locked and shut with a power stronger then gravity. They were the manual ways into the escape pods. Pods they were indeed, little metal boxes full of machinery that multiplied food, and water, and cleaned the air to last for years. There were even bathrooms. Despite the thickness of the doors - both the one into the pod and the one to walk through the seal that linked the pod to the ship – they had been built with windows. Another punishment for Grace, for she couldn't help but look inside.

It may have blurred their appearances, but the people's expressions couldn't be muffled. Some were injured, and some were unconscious. Most were huddled in the corners with each other or in a ball on their own. All crying. They must have been so scared. And confused. Staring in every one of the pods as she walked past, Grace felt her heart thump loudly and painfully. Walking the length of it with a rushed speed, tears stung at her eyes. It wasn't fair. These innocent people had suffered because of something she'd done. And that was one thing she couldn't fix. She couldn't bring back the dead.

Like a criminal walking past the accusing crowds, she had to pass all her victims. When she reached the other end of the long corridor, she had joined her tears with the waves that flowed from the room. Became one of the group. Reaching up, getting a tight grip on the lever that would release the pods. For some reason beyond her comprehension, she looked back into the last of the windows. Inside there were only two creatures. Both of the same species and both tiny, the size of terrier dogs, and covered in thick black fur, like a big cat of some sort. They held no other cat-like features, with their ears none-existent and their face's snout-less. But they had big, dark eyes. They wore clothes too, even if they were ripped and ragged with the compression of the collapsed ship. They held each other – probably family.

A bell rang, low and quiet in the back of her mind. These must be of the Almus species, she thought, a stray memory of Jack's words floating through her mind. Tiny, vulnerable and lost. It made her wonder what time this was.

She pulled the lever, and set them free.

Before they blasted off, one of the Almus creatures looked up, straight into Grace's eyes, and it understood. There was forgiveness in those pools of knowledge. Brimmed with the pain of loss, and with wicked fear, they thanked Grace. And that broke her heart.

OoOoOoOoOo

Grace just stood there for a long time. Just breathing in and out. Was she shaking? Probably. It was hard to tell. She's said she wasn't a soldier, but she'd just followed orders perfectly. Being the leader, she usually gave them. She'd said she wasn't an apprentice, yet didn't she just do exactly what the Doctor would?

Crackling made her jump, her heart in her mouth, and she turned around to find the culprit. Her gaze locked on a screen in the collage of technology on the wall beside her. The image of the Doctor fizzed on, his voice sounding like static,

"Grace? Is it done?" He didn't need to ask, he would have gotten the signal up on the Bridge of the ship, but he wanted to hear her voice. Hear it if was shaking. After all, she was so close to breaking.

"Yeah," she muttered, "They're gone. They'll be safe right?" He nodded, flickering his gaze to the side momentarily. Grace couldn't see his surroundings as the image was shaking about, the low power of the ship interfering. His mouth moved before the sound came through,

"Can you see a door to your left?"

Glancing to her left, she saw another one of those thick, alien doors. She hadn't noticed that…

"Yeah," she replied, and again, the noise can after the image,

"Go through it, and just keep going down the corridors and through the doors at the end," he ordered, "And don't stop". You see, this is the part where she should have done what all the other companions would have. Waste time asking questions. What was at the end of all the corridors and through the final door? Why couldn't she go back to the Doctor? What was it he wanted her to do? How were things going on the Bridge? What was the plan?

…What was the Doctor regretting?

"Okay," she replied shortly. A soldier. An apprentice. An assistant? Well, she was doing what he told her to, wasn't she? She was doing something he should, no, would have done, wasn't she? And it was that she came to realize this as she threw herself through door after door and ran down the corridors. Her new life revolved around that time lord. With or without her consent. Sighing, she pushed those thoughts from her mind. She had bigger things to worry about. Bigger problems to deal with. Bigger mistakes she had to redeem herself for.

More pods. Behind that door there were more pods. Dozens and dozens of them. Covering the whole side of the ship and each one of them empty. How many people had died? Out in space without the protection of a skin of metal. It horrified her. All those people. Heaving another one of those doors open, her gaze caught on something that made her freeze, gasping for breath.

He was here. Standing there in the middle of the corridor, and waiting for her without as much as a breath held. His face a mask, hiding the pain he felt in what he was about to do. He didn't want to. No, never. But he had no choice. Being Grace, she just stared at him for a moment, startled and in the dark. She had no idea…

"How are you doing, Gracie?" he asked her, his voice lined with true concern. She looked a wreck. Had she been crying?

"I'm fine…" she murmured, frowning, and the Doctor nodded, smiling slightly in relief. It would all be over soon, Grace. Soon. She started up the corridor, her eyes confused, but slowly blazing in fury. Soon that walk turned to a run, and she approached the Doctor, her voice raised,

"What are you doing here? You need to stabilize the core, and keep the shields up, and-and do something! And your just," she stopped in front of him, gesturing up and down his front, "Standing here!" He grinned without meaning to, and she watched as it didn't reach his eyes. His blunt, feisty Grace. He reached out and took his screwdriver, rolling it between his fingers.

She tilted her head, and she saw that hollow greeting in those hazels. He was lost. More then that; he wanted to be lost. He was hiding something, and he protected it with his life. What was really going on? She wondered. Why was her time lord so broken?

"I'm finishing this," the Doctor told her, "I know what I need to do". She opened her mouth to laugh, but just sighed in relief, throwing her arms around him,

"Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed, and he stuttered for breath. It seemed he got softer with age. His voice brittle to hide all emotion, he continued,

"I'm going to drive this thing into the void, and stop the explosion. From within, I will seal the crack with my death. That knot in time isn't just your fault. It's mine too. I took you away from Earth and made it worse. This should work".

She just froze. Horror struck her system, and hit her deep in her stomach. Feeling sick, her eyes widened and her breath stopped. What was he saying? He would willingly give his life? But that's…insane. The Doctor's life was worth a million of hers. Oh, God. No.

"You can't be serious…" she mouthed, unable to breathe. He looked her square in the eye and she saw it for the first time. Untamed fear. Greater then any fear she'd seen in his eyes before. Standing by his side, and holding his hand, she had watched him throw down empires of Daleks, and armies of Cybermen. Cities of the dead, and Satan himself. Every time, he had less then a spark of fear. But now? His constant companion had turned on him, and that was his greatest fear. To join his race.

"Grace, I'm sorry. So sorry. The Tardis is on the other side of the ship and we don't have time. I can't take you home. You have to stay here, in this time. Find Jack. Make a life. And…please…just one thing," she was drowning, "Remember me".

"I'm not going anywhere!" she screamed.

Then he kissed her.

She had no breath, and her body was slowly suffocating, so he forced it into her lungs. She froze, her heart remembering to beat, and she just stared at him for a moment, while his lips were on hers. She'd like to say she felt explosions of emotions, of all that affection and adoration blossoming out in fountains of bliss. That she felt the true heat of passion. But there was nothing. Not like that. An empty, heartbroken kiss is so much more. It's a goodbye. A final goodbye.

She could smell his fear, and she could taste his terror. His skin was cold. She pulled her arms around him, sheltering him. She wanted to take his place. Wanted to protect him. And she knew she couldn't. That was why she let the tears fall as she kissed him, her eye squeezed tightly shut, begging herself to wake up from this nightmare. It couldn't be real.

She felt her body rush through the air, and the warmth come back to her lips before she collided with something solid. Her back ached, and she opened her eyes to see the inside of one of the pods. And in the open doorway, there was the Doctor. He had pushed her in. He was taking deep breaths, and looking at her with such a fierce stare, she actually felt it burn her. He was apologizing. Begging for forgiveness. And asking for her cooperation.

He was insane to expect it.

She jumped to her feet and leapt across the length of the tiny room, but he whirred his screwdriver – that whined sadly – and closed the door before she was halfway across. She hit the metal full on, and it forced the wind from her lungs. Tear still streaking down her face, she hammered on the door until it was covered in her blood. And she screamed,

"No! Doctor, no! Don't do this! Please, stop! Don't send me away! I won't leave you! I can't! Doctor, please! No! I need to stay with you, I need to! PLEASE!"

The room shook as it was released, and she panicked, her heart like a hummingbird's wings,

"Doctor! No! I won't let you do this, you stubborn idiot! You can't die!"

His face was solemn, and she watched as a tear fell down his cheek. His hearts were pounding, and he hated himself. She didn't deserve this, to be abandoned. To be left here. His soul was drenched in the stench of guilt, and the grease of regret. He had to do this, and no matter how much her told himself that, it wouldn't stop that vile emotions winning over him. He put his hand to the glass window, and she watched as he mouthed,

"I'm sorry".

There was space between them now. So much space. The universe was separating them, and Grace was shaking with panic and with horror. He couldn't do this! She wouldn't let him! Oh, why wouldn't he listen! In a last desperate attempt to get him to listen, she opened up her once locked and bolted heart, screaming out things she hated to admit,

"I love you! Please, Doctor! I love you so goddamn much! Don't do this!"

She had fallen into that time lord's trap, just like so many others. She didn't want to. She promised herself she wouldn't. But, her heart has other ideas. He faltered, the mask slipping and revealing something so horrific, so distraught, it shattered Grace's heart. It was indescribable. Without dying, he was already a dead man. Tormented and haunted by the demons of the void, that were already picking at the remains of his corpse.

The Doctor moved from the window, unable to look into those retreating terrified eyes any longer. And Grace sobbed, her chest heaving and her heart in pieces, screaming at no one,

"NO! PLEASE, NO! I WON'T LET YOU DOCTOR! BRING ME BACK! BRING ME BACK! DON'T! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

The ship became smaller and smaller, as she descended into the stars, that metal box becoming the tomb of her misery. How could he leave her here? What was wrong with him? He obviously wasn't thinking straight…He would never…But he would. He did. To protect her. And she would never forgive him for it. The ship began to move towards that crack that was getting bigger and bigger, sucking up the universe, and she fell into fits of hysterics. Her Doctor was flying to his death, and he left her behind.

Then something happened.

Something malfunctioned.

Something went horribly wrong.

And the ship exploded.

The shields were forced outwards in rippled of energy, and they dissolved in the air-less sky, while the air escaped in wisps of last breaths. The core lit a fire of pure unstoppable flame, and the ship burned with the poisonous verlocity of a sun, collapsing in on itself. The colours blinded her, the bronze dancing with the scarlet and the cobalt, and they licked at her face, burning her from that far away. She could only watch in horror, her eyes wide and weeping without even meaning to. Then it exploded bigger, tendrils of white – pure white – reached out, and grasped the sides of the crack, hauling the ship into its heart, while the tear laughed happily.

It all burned. The Tardis became ash, and the words echoed around her mind, scarring her soul and carving it into her consciousness.

"_It will burn! The blue box will burn, you must not go inside! The box will burn! The blue box! He brings only death!"_

And she burnt. The box of blue died in the fires, and her release on Grace fell away like a string being cut, physically forcing the breath from the red-head. She felt only agony, racking her very insides, and forcing her to grasp her chest as she screamed. The truth hit her like a million gunshots, turning her into nothing. She was nothing. Because he died too. He burnt through the last of his regenerations, and died a mortal death on that ship. Completely alone.

The Doctor was dead.

OoOoOoOoOo

She knew it was only a matter of seconds before the walls of reality fell in on themselves. The Doctor had died; did that mean that the tear had begun to heal before the ship exploded? But, the ship was so close; it must have had an effect? The universe would die, right?

Even if the crack sealed, the universe would still die. It died with the Doctor, because how could it carry on without him? He was the very definition of life in all its pain and glory, and he was gone. Dead. She couldn't stop the tears. GONE! He'd left her! She was stuck here, so completely alone! And…and…OH GOD! BRING HIM BACK!

Without thinking, her body reacted by digging in her pocket, and pulling out an object, and bringing it up for her eyes to investigate. She looked at it, blurred through the tears, and she gasped, it hitting her like a punch in the gut. She felt no fear. No loss. She knew what she had to do.

She would go back, back to before the Doctor had taken her on a journey and had created this crack. She would stop this before it started. With her death, the Doctor would live. Yes. That was it. The only way. That brilliant time lord died for her, so she would do the same for him. It-it was only fair.

And with that, she pressed the vortex manipulator that Jack had given her, and she teleported back in time. Leaving behind the burning inferno, and the empty pod, and the death and the pain, she hit the floor of the hub. Curling into a ball, she found that her mind raced with the panic to commit suicide, but she couldn't move. She was racked with hysterics. She felt someone come over, and talk to her – shout to her – and hug her in an embrace. Those pheromones could only be Jack's. She had no idea what year it was, but she didn't care. She would be leaving soon enough.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

In the firearm room, Grace picked up the nearest gun and went in search of ammunition. Bullets were her worse enemy, and had plagued her past, but it was a swift and easy death. The best she could wish for. She wasn't freaking out or stressing with a high blood pressure, in fact, she was actually quite calm. After she'd remembered to breath, she had stopped crying enough to gain some self control. She wanted this, and so, it was easy.

Jack was behind her, had been the whole time since she stood up. He'd watched her compose herself from the shattered form on the floor, and it petrified him.

"Grace, damn it! Speak to me! What happened, Kiddo? Where is the Doctor?!"

She checked her gun over, and nodded in satisfaction. As she made to leave, Jack lost his temper and grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing he against the wall and growling in her face,

"Speak to me!"

She just blinked, and he saw something in her eyes that made him let go. She was dead inside. A shell with only one thing on her mind. Grace Miller was dead. He tried to look away, but couldn't,

"How long has it been since I left, Jack?" Her voice was so strained from the tears, it was coarse and broken. It scared him even more. It was a moment before he replied,

"A week". That should have startled her, but emotions were beyond her. Instead, she held out the wristband, and he looked at it is pure confusion,

"In two weeks, I will return with the Doctor. Give me this. I'll need it," he stared at it, and looked back up at her. She smiled weakly, not attempting to let it reach her eyes, "It'll be okay Jack. The Doctor is fine, and he needs me. I have to go to him," She pulled him into an unexpected hug, and he felt more tears fall on his shoulder, "Take care, Jack. And don't worry about me, trust me, I'm more then great. Look after everyone for me".

He pushed her away, meeting her eyes,

"Grace, if you already have this then your past self will visit me. Please, just talk to me," he demanded and she laughed a cold laugh, and shook her head,

"I have, Jack. I'll miss you". She kissed his cheek, and jumped past him, running through the hub, taking in the beauty of the place one last time. Her heart boomed, and Jack just watched, knowing he could get nothing more out of her. Something had happened, and he would never know. He sighed.

As Grace stopped in the middle of the vast place, her gaze locked on a welsh man who walked up one of the set of stairs, carrying coffee.

"Grace?" he questioned in disbelief, and she smiled sadly,

"Goodbye Ianto," she said, and she danced up to him, kissed his cheek, and whispered in his ear, "Tell Jack you love him, for God's sake," before she backspaced, and pressed the wristband. She left the hub for the last time.

…………………………………………

The Doctor threw himself from the memory, and found himself on the floor of the Tardis, on all fours, panting for breath, with tears coming down his face. He gasped against the sobs, and felt the Tardis whine against his misery. He was shaking. Finally, he knew why. She had died so he would live. So the universe would live. And so the past Grace wouldn't feel the pain she would have gone through.

He realized the Tardis blurred out of vision around him, shattering into another memory his conscious was dragged into. He didn't want to go back. It hurt too much. But then he saw her. Wherever they were, it was complete darkness. And she was glowing.

Grace stood there, smiling at him, with her long hair and her sharp, blazing eyes. She held her hands at her lap, and she looked so happy. It hurt so much. Staring right at him, her voice was musical,

"And now, Doctor, my poor Doctor, you know the truth. Why I died," she paused, "I can only hope you'll forgive me. It was harsh and cruel, but it was the only way. I know you'll understand.

This is it. I have no more I can say you don't already know. That future would have been, well, words can't describe. And we did have it, in some sort of way.

But, my Doctor, I have but this to say. Find somebody. All of this was caused because you were alone, and I won't let it happen again. You need somebody, if but a friend to hold your hand while you face the nightmares.

Good luck. Take care. Farewell. Goodbye. What's the difference?" she smiled, "Have a good life, Doctor".

The image faded, and the Doctor found himself lying on his back in complete silence, his mouth slightly agape in shock. She was gone. No more memories, no more whispering words and no more smiles. Grace was dead.

A final thought entered his mind. Grace wanted him to find somebody, and he wanted to, oh, he so wanted to. But he promised himself: no more. Everyone he touched got hurt and died because of him. They were left with broken lives because of him. He wouldn't let that happen. Not again. No more companions. It was time he faced his punishment and lived on alone. That way, he would only hurt himself.

He sat up, and took a deep breath.

No more companions….


	36. What Could, Should And Would Have Been

**Epilogue: The Doctor's POV**

**A/N: This is the ending then, if you like. This story has been on big thrill rush, and a very predictable, plotless one at that. Also, very complicated what with alternate futures, flashbacks, should-be events and memories, good luck to me if you can figure it out. I hope it succeeded in entertaining you :D This is the end of the story, with another alternate future, and not as long as the others. Special thanks to my BFFs GwenxxOwen: Thanks for all the reviews and support and helping with all the Doctor Who/Torchwood info! Wuv you Squirrel :D and xxLewrahxx: My Fangirl, what can I say? Your is immensely appreciated, and you stuck with me from the very beginning! Wuv you Sarah!!! :D:D**

**For the last time: Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**P.s. The next chapter is a sort of related Song!fic and I want you to leave me a review telling me which song it is (and honestly, what would you do?) even if I have already told some of you :D It is an unexpected song, I can tell you. And I've already used one of the lyrics in a previous chapter... x**

Funerals. I'd never stuck around to see too many of them. I always moved on, mourned silently and hysterically on my own with my Tardis singing to me, and soothing me with her words. That's my routine if someone close to me dies. When someone close to me dies. Somehow, this is different. I'd left and gone a thousand galaxies away, vowing never to look back, but I couldn't. I came back. And now I stand here, watching on from the shadows. My sanctuary.

It always rained when there were funerals, and today is no different. The heavens cry, and it don't blame them. Well, even I'd cried. It takes a lot to hit me that hard. Looking on, I know exactly why I hate funerals. These heartbroken people, all congregating and sobbing, just like captives in a cage, forced together as a false thought of strength in numbers took over. Everything is black – the cloths, the coffin, the flowers and the skies – making this all seem like some ritual to the darkness, whimpering against it for the lost soul back.

I choose not to stick around to close and face the family and the family, and in this case, Jack.

He is here, with Martha beside him and her fiancé. The couple hold hands, staring on in a grieving pattern. Gwen Cooper is here – I barely know her – and she is crying and standing behind Mickey, who just has his head down in a solemn way. Jack is standing there, hand and hand with Ianto, who too just holds his head low. Inside, Jack in alone with his sorrow. He watches in with a mask of nothing. Underneath, he's distraught. He was so close to her. They'd been to the end of the world and back. Seen things that would haunt their minds. Jack's mind. The coffin hits the bottom of the hole, and I watch as new hysterics break out, the parents holding each other. They were so nice to me when I met them.

The vicar closes his book, dropped his head, and made his way around the retreating guests in the graveyard. Gwen is first to walk away, Mickey following behind, and looking up to Martha and Tom, her partner, as they brush beside him. Who wants to stay with the dead when they belonged with the living? Ianto whispers something to Jack, and squeezes his hand comfortingly. The immortal doesn't reply or move, so the welshman sighs, his face laced with pain, and kisses Jack before following his team.

Soon, Jack is the only one left.

A group of men come over, waiting patiently for him to pass so they could cover up the coffin. The immortal makes no sign of moving, his gaze locked on that onyx box. Minutes pass, and he doesn't seem to be breathing. The men glance to each other, noticing this. When Jack's arm lifts, they merely shrug. The captain drops a rose onto the lid, and speaks for the first time,

"I'll miss you too, Kiddo".

And then he looks at me.

I didn't know how he knew I was here, but his eyes find me in my shelter in the shadows of the nearby pine wood as I stand among the cones. They pierce through me, searching into my core. Not for answers. Not for an apology. But…for support. He still looks at me as the hero that would save the world when he can't.

Am I?

I meet his gaze, and we both drop our masks, no longer playing a sick game in a crowded ball room of ghosts. We don't need disguises. Along that connection, we have our own silent conversation. Forgiveness. Regret. Sorrow. As expected. Relief too? He is glad to see me. And there it is. Just as I expected. Hate. Not pure, uncoiled hate that would consume him, but that made of grief. She had died for me, travelling with me when I should have protected her. He knows that.

What does he get from me? A single word. Sorry. What else can I say?

Then he turns, and follows what was left of his family, his walk brisk and his head down. He forgives me. Standing there for a moment longer, I just watch the dirt fall, and my mind bites me, desperate to leave. Wouldn't be long until she was under the ground, with the past. The worse thing is I see her future. In my mind, I see it all. What was. What is. And what could be. Her death would have been simple and easy, full of peace.

OoOoOoOoOo

Grace Miller was old. Very old. Her youth had wasted away with the elasticity of her skin, and the wrinkles had piled on with the years of memories and knowledge. That elongated phase of excruciatingly loud red hair had worn off long ago and a dusting of white now lay on her Mallon streaked hair. Time had caught up with Gracie and she had left the Doctor's side long ago. Realistically, it had only been a week – for her anyway – but it felt like years. He'd dropped her at one of the most luxurious homes there were. But, it was an old person's home none the less.

Jack was beside, - had been most of the seven days – and he held her hand, smiling. She could feel the dread as it radiated from him. The years had passes and his family at Torchwood had grown old and died; sometimes the latter before the former. New members had taken their place and the captain found some form of solitude in them.

He knew Grace's death was upon them, even if it was a perfect death. Through age and not a wound or illness. How peaceful. Just the circle of life coming to an end. Squeezing his hand, Grace returned his smile and told him to go back to the hub. He had been here long enough and surely Cardiff was overflowing with creatures and alien devices that were causing chaos.

"You sure, Kiddo?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes. In his eyes, she was still a kid, and still so young. His voice hadn't changed in all those years. And thanks to the miracle of plastic surgery, neither had his face – he looked the same as that day they first time they met.

The Doctor had brought her back a few years too early, you see. She was older then she should be in this time. Brushing Jack's cheek, she looked at her hand. Old hands.

"You look like you could be my son".

"Oh, trust me; you're more like the daughter in this relationship. I'm so much older then you," he laughed. If anyone listened and watched their conversation, they would think both the captain and Grace were mad. Without a warning, or a build up, they found themselves saying their final goodbye. There was a connection – a glint in their eyes – and a history that treaded far back.

With no words, no well wishes and no other expressions then wallowing in the past and remembering it with a smile dancing on their lips, Jack stood up, kissed Grace on her cheek, and saluted to a fine Lieutenant-General before parting for the last time. The old woman watched him go and sighed, lying back in her chair. The sun was setting outside the window of her room.

Scarlet crossed the sky, shooting like stars and setting the clouds alight in brilliant colour. Lilac trailed behind stumbling into the shadows of the heavens, followed by a graceful fuchsia that sprinkled itself on top of all her companions, singing as she went. The great burning orb fell into the marshes of the Earth and they pulled a content smile from Grace.

"Is everything alright, Miss Miller?" said a woman as she wobbled into the room, her broad Scottish accent hitting Grace like a punch in the gut, causing her heart to jump and catch in her throat as she looked around and caught a glimpse of an oh so familiar face. With her elegant looks, and the subtle curve of her face, she looked no different. Still had her hair up in a scruffy bun, while she positively glowed with the radiance of pregnancy and subconsciously kept a hand on the bump of her abdomen. She was at least five months gone.

"Everything is just fine, thank you, flower," Grace replied. Both women of the room met, and Grace recognized those deep eyes well, where as Amber just regarded her as another one of the home's visitors. The old woman thought one last conversation with her old friend would be bliss, "Is it a girl or a boy?"

"Girl," Amber said as a reflex reaction, before she smiled to herself.

"Have you thought of any names?" Grace asked next, trying to add a dragged, unbothered tone to her voice. Amber trawled around the room, fluffing pillows, organizing table tops and picking up a few stray empty cups.

"Lei, I think," she replied, turning off the television, "After my mother". Her tone was distant as she talked to an old woman who as well on her way out the door. Grace blinked in surprise, and murmured,

"I never knew that…"Amber looked up, smiling,

"Sorry?"

"I said that's a beautiful name, flower". Amber nodded, and looked down at her bump, patting it affectionately, before she continued,

"Aye, it is. I like the name Grace too. I don't know what it is, but, it just seems to ring a bell in my head, you know?" She obviously didn't know Miss Miller's full name, "But, we'll just have to wait and see",

Grace just smiled in reply, her heart aching. The Doctor would have explained how Amber was drawn to that name due to some sort of time/space repercussion that echoed back or maybe forward. Some sort of riddle. Where as Grace just felt gratitude and pride.

"I'll be back soon, Miss Miller," Amber informed her as she made her way from the room, thinking little of it. Grace smiled, and as she turned back to her beautiful view, she replied quietly,

"Goodbye, Am".

She found her memories floated back to her of all those many years. All the laughter and tears. All the greetings and farewells. So sad. And all the brilliance. The true beauty of the universe. So amazing. However, nothing could compare to watching her sun set into her sky on her home planet. It was so comforting.

Feeling someone take a hold of her hand, with such a familiar touch, it didn't startle her. More like awoke her from a long slumber. Looking up into a face she'd hope she would see one last time, she smiled,

"Hello stranger".

Crouching down to her lever, the Doctor smiled. He looked so…young. His hazel eyes were so fresh, with such a spark in them…just like when they'd first met. Naïve and still heartbroken, this Doctor was old. Grace understood immediately, and grinned, "I wondered where you go off to when you left me in that forest near Camelot. You came to say Goodbye before we properly said Hello".

"Forgive me," he said; his voice so lined with youth, it shocked her, "But the endings before the beginning just make things easier for me". He had no idea what his future held Lost in the darkness of fate. Didn't know how much Grace would come to love him. It was so tragic yet glorious. Bless.

"You are forgiven, of course, Doctor. But you shouldn't leave me there long – they'll be a bit of a surprise for you when you get back".

Their goodbye wasn't teary or heart-breaking. In fact, it was the complete opposite. They laughed and smile, reminiscing things the Doctor had lived through and his Grace had yet to find out about. They spoke of old things, and new things. It was the same as always.

But, it had to end at sometime.

"Goodbye, Grace Miller. Thank you for everything you have yet to do. I'm such our time together will be…eventful".

"It will," Grace replied, laughing to herself, "I wish you good luck with that, my poor Doctor. Now, off you go". When she let go of his hand, he had no idea how much that meant. She was releasing him and herself of an old life and with that, Grace gave herself permission to move on. She shooed him away, a delicate smile gracing her lips. He had no idea what he was in for…

Unwillingly, the Doctor left, a final glance back at the old woman Grace would become framing itself in his mind. And then? He was gone.

The moon had risen by that time and night billowing in, smoking up the atmosphere. Serenity took a hold. Grace died before the sun came up.

OoOoOoOoOo

That was how Grace would have died, had the disturbances in time never have occurred. We'd have finished that cruise, seen the stars flash across the sky in unique wonder, and moved on. Anywhere and everywhere. It would have been magical. But, as always, Death won. Sighing, I step behind the doors of my Tardis. Another friend lost, and another lifetime lived and forgotten.

I need chocolate, I conclude. Hearing the hum of my forever companion, my Tardis, it soothes me and I gain the courage to move on. As always, I move on.


	37. You Will

**You will**

You'll never know the footsteps of the Lonely God;

You'll never hear his double beating hearts;

You'll never know the truth from beyond the walls;

Of reality;

xx

You'll have a choice, one day, you see;

To got with that stranger in the box of blue;

See wonder and danger;

See beauty and pain;

Or you could stay on this barren planet;

Where nobody knows you name;

xx

You'll never know the footsteps of the Lonely God;

You'll never hear his double beating hearts;

You'll never know the truth from beyond the walls;

Of reality;

xx

Now here's that choice, that very choice;

That difficult choice;

That choice, that choice…

**What would you do?**


End file.
